When wine satisfies the palate AND provides a healthy financial return

Wine lovers come in many shapes and sizes  and with a multitude of  taste preferences, including those who may not let is pass their lips, but see it as an investment.

Whether you count yourself as a connoisseur  or  are happy with the a glass of Chateau plonk like the star of a much loved TV series,  you will likely be aware that some of the finest product of the grape comes from the Bordeaux region of France.

Perhaps the best known is the famed Chateau Lafite  which, according to the Guinnness book of records has produced the most expensive bottle of wine ever auctioned, a 1787  vintage (two year’s before the French Revolution) which went at Christies in London for $160,000.

While auctioneer’s  are  banging the gavel for the big time purchasers of single bottles  there is a growing army of canny investors who keep a steady eye on  wine prices  and  have realized  that wine, particularly from Bordeaux can show a handsome, often spectacular return on investment.

Wearied of the  repeated instability of the stock market, they have turned to wine as a secure  investment, producing returns of over 10 percent a year and sometimes up to about 100 percent in five years.

If that sounds too good to be true, you can check it out on the Fine Wine Exchange. Since the  early 1980’s  an investment in quality wines  has outperformed  stocks, bonds and commodities and without  some of the hair raising volatility that has plagued the markets. Eighty percent of investors repeat their purchase on maturity.

How does it work?
When a chosen wine is  ready for auction to purchasers the world over  people like the Wine Investment Fund make their buys from the top percentages by volume of fine Bordeaux wines. Supply is limited  because of the fixed  borders of each chateaux.

The purchases are then sent to climate controlled bonded warehouses in England where they sit for  five years  demonstrating the law of supply and demand. The stocks increase in value as the world supply of existing wines decreases, because  it graces  the tables of restaurants and homes of those with discerning palates. The wines  are insured at fair market value, to protect investors against unforeseen disasters.

Investors can see how their purchase is doing  by following its progress on the Fine Wine Exchange until it reaches the five year maturity level  with a track record  of  a return of  80-100 percent.  The minimum investment is $15,000.

Panama will get its first exposure to the Wine Investment Fund when it’s Founder  and Director, Rodney Birrell arrives in town for a series of  seminars and private  presentations October 3 through 5.

The open seminars will be at:

October 3: Di Vino  in Casco Viejo at 12 noon and 6 pm.

October 4:  Pangea Restaurant,  6.30 and 8.00 pm.

Oct 5: Di Vino 12 noon. Felippe Motta, Marbella 6.00 pm.

If you want to attend an event  you can register at  www.thewineinvestmentfund.com

There are also some corporate  presentations, but there are still a few opportunites for a private or group presentation