Fine Wines

[ossian]

Has anyone any experience of investing in fine wines. It's an area where I have little or no experience. With the burgeoning Chinese market it looks very attractive. What are the pit falls etc. with this area of investment?

Ossian

[carolegif]

Drinking them before they made any money!!

[jno]

as with any market, you can't read the future. How are you going to predict if the Chinese suddenly lose their taste for wine? Or go for one label instead of another?

[VHG]

Trouble is if you are investing in something you cant see or touch then it is wide open to scams.

There have been many wine scams when the people smooth talk you into parting with your money, then you find they disappear and you find they never actually had any wine, and your money is gone.

Here is one example

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2416847/Brother-sister-ran-4-5m-fine-wine-fraud-empire-conned-vulnerable-elderly-investors-jailed-half-years.html

[237SJ]

You used to be able to invest in fine wines in the SIPP markets. You would need specialist advice. From my experience of the Chinese (and Indians - another emgerging market) they`re not into wines - they prefer beer and whisky. In supermarkets in China, they have wines that have been produced in their own country with help from New Zealand producers.

[VHG]

More on wine scams here

http://www.wineanorak.com/wineblog/uncategorized/watch-out-wine-investment-scam-cold-calling

http://www.yourmoney.com/your-money/news/2265762/how-to-spot-a-wine-investment-scam

http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2012/10/wine-fraudster-jailed-over-760000-scam/

[ossian]

I'm talking about investing with a reputable stock market listed company like The London Wine Exchange

Ossian

[atalanta]

Unless you were an expert, I wouldn't touch wine investment with 2 bargepoles tied end-to-end. The whole business is far too volatile, and wide-open to fraud.

[dzug2]

What makes you think they are stock market listed? I can't find a share price for them and I can't see anything on their website that suggests they are..

[ossian]

You're right dzug2, this company is not listed on the Stock Market. After your message I did some due diligence on this company and several more involving the same personnel and I was shocked at what I found. I have attached a link to a BBC R4 interview which says it all.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p016yn6f

Many Thanks,

Ossian