There are some principles that should be followed if one is to make a successful investment.

1. Any investment should be treated as a long term and a minimum of five to ten years is usually recommended.

2. Only buy the finest wines in the finest vintages, remembering that when they appear on the market they must be of a recognised quality and source.

3. While buying from wine merchants, who are certain as to where the wine has been stored and, more importantly, where the wine will be stored in the future.

4. Like many investments, do not put all your eggs into one basket. Wine investment should only be a proportion of your investment portfolio.

5. Enjoy wine! This sounds obvious but investments can go wrong and at the very least one will have the pleasure of drinking some of the finest wines in the world.

The Benefits of Investing in Wine

There are some amazing benefits that can derive out of investing in wine.

Capital appreciation. Whilst it is almost impossible to establish a percentage growth on a wine portfolio, there are many examples of exceptional performances from the finest wines over the last twenty years.

The 'Drink Free' opportunity. For example an investment of £20,000.00 could easily be split half into pure investment wines and the other half into wines for drinking in the future. By selling the investment wines at some future date, past experience has shown that the profit on this sale has covered the purchase price of the drinking wines.

En Primeur. "Primeur" system is a way of buying fine and rare wines while they are still in barrels. Over time the value of the wines will appreciate and it is therefore the best way to secure some of the finest Bordeaux at the best prices, for investment and enjoyment.

Besides Bordeaux, Burgundy, Italian and Australian wine is also alternatives for investment.