News
Anthony Rose. The speed at which China is learning about wine has taken the global wine industry by surprise'
By Anthony Rose,
Independent,
24 Dec 2011.
One of the keys to the dramatic expansion of wine in China was the result of Hong Kong's new-found status as a global wine hub. On 27 February 2008, John Tsang, the Chief Financial Secretary of Hong Kong's Treasury, announced the scrapping of the tax on wine in Hong Kong. With an estimated 350 importers today, and the proliferation of air-conditioned warehouses, Hong Kong has become a major supplier of fine wine, both legally and illicitly (China's duty is 48 per cent to Hong Kong's zero) to China.
Investing in wine - avoid becoming a victim of fraud
This website link below is published and maintained by the Wine and Spirit Trade Association. Its contents were drafted in consultation with a number of reputable UK wine merchants, retailers, brokers and law enforcement agencies. It is aimed at consumers who are considering investing in fine wines. It provides tips on how to protect yourself against becoming the victim of fraud.
http://www.investinginfinewines.co.uk/
Wine market wobbles - some thoughts
Q3 of 2011 has come as something of a shock to many inexperienced wine investors, with the first softening of prices seen in the market for 2 ½ years.
Read moreHow to invest in wine
By Emma Wall
Telegraph
19 Jul 2011
Unlike other luxury items, such as Rolex watches or Aston Martin cars, the supply of fine wine is fixed.
Read moreNot enough wine in France to satisfy Chinese thirst
By Malcolm Moore
The Telegraph
20th April 2011
Bordeaux’s famed vineyards cannot produce enough fine wine to satisfy China’s thirst, the head of one of the region's most important chateaus has warned.
Read moreCorking rewards for investors who know their wine
The Telegraph
By Alison Brown
19 May 2011
An increasing number of investors are looking to make money from the wine industry – particularly in China.
How are your investments doing, if you don’t mind me asking? Does a morning reading of the ups and downs of shares, commodities and currency markets leave jangled nerves?
Read moreCareful storage will ensure your liquid assets bear fruit
By Ella Lister
FT.com
Feb 2011
Over the last decade fine wine has categorically staked its claim as a commodity worth investing in.
Wine Investment tips for 2011
By James Fletcher
Albany Portfolio Management
With last year so convincingly dominated by Lafite and its siblings, we suspect that the greatest returns this year will - shock, horror - be found elsewhere. That's not to say we're feeling bearish about Lafite's future fortunes - we expect the overall progress to be positive in 2011 - but we do expect things to get a touch choppy as investors take their (hefty!) profits, causing price wobbles here and there and testing the mettle of Lafite lovers.
Read more
The rules of wine investment have changed
By James Fletcher
Albany Portfolio Management
December 2010
Take note: The rules of wine investment have changed...
The resounding message from both the wine trade and the financial press throughout the Noughties was unequivocal; when investing in a case or two of the red stuff for profit stick to the top blue-chip châteaux, only buy from the finest vintages and pay close attention to the judgements of über critic Robert Parker; if His Bobness bestowed a score of 95+/100 you could be pretty sure you were on to a good bet. But how do these simple rules fare in today‟s ever more sophisticated wine investment world?
Chateau d'Yquem: China goes for gold
By James Fletcher
Albany Portfolio Management
September 2010
Important news this week for wine investors: China has finally legalised the importing of sweet desert wine from Bordeaux, including Sauternes, hitherto disalowed due to the high sulphite levels. Consequently, prices for the definitive, undisputed king of noble rot - Chateau d'Yquem (the only wine from the region to be credited with Premier Cru Supérieur status) - are expected to go into orbit.
Bright stars: The future of wine investment
By James Fletcher
Albany Portfolio Management
September 2010
Just five years ago you could have been the proud owner of a case of 1982 Château Lafite-Rothschild for less than £5,000. Rewind a further five years and it was yours for just £2,500; go back another half decade and a cheeky grand would have done the trick. Today you would be lucky to get change from £40,000.
Read moreThe Lafite Puzzle by Andy Xie
17 Aug 10
"The Lafite Puzzle" is a particularly interesting article published this month in the China International News Daily paper. The article was written by Andy Xie, a native Chinese independent economist based in Shanghai, and the former Morgan Stanley star chief Asia-Pacific economist.
Xie is both an avid wine lover as well as one of Asia's most respected economists. He was, in fact, one of the few who's accurately predicted the economic bubbles including the Asian financial crisis (1997), the dot-com bubble (1999) and the sub-prime mortgage crisis (2008). His views from the 'inside' on the impact of China on fine wine are therefore well worth reading.
Vintage 2009: All the fun, half the cost...
04 Aug 10
Many of you have expressed an interest in investing in the extraordinary 2009 vintage, but found the hefty entry levels rather too rich
All eyes on Chateau Latour...
24 May 2010
This summer we are set for a battle royal for the wine investment crown between seemingly uncatchable Château Lafite-Rothschild and mighty Château Latour. Latour, considered by many to be the holy grail of fine claret, is set to come to the very forefront of wine investment
2009 En Primeur - important information
21 May 2010
UK wine merchants face an unprecedented practical problem with this year's EP campaign: Demand is higher than for any previous vintage (by multiples!) but first tranche allocations will be considerably reduced - the châteaux are expected to release in twelve tranches as opposed to the usual three in order to capitalise on the expected rally in prices. In short, demand will outstrip supply many times over.
Read moreWine investing: Far East lapping up Lafite
Dan Hyde, This is Money
12 April 2010
Vino, vin, wein, vinho, wijn. Wine - it doesn't matter what language you speak, it's been one of the best investments of Noughties, with some of the most sought-after vintages quadrupling in value.
Read moreWine Investment Market report 2010
Wine investment market report.
March 2010
By James Fletcher
Albany Portfolio Management (APM) was established early in 2009 to provide a broader base of investors with access to the fine wine market and operates in association with Albany Vintners, a highly renowned and long established wholesale fine wine merchant. APM has one simple objective; to add wealth to its customers.
Read moreAsia is the future
Asia is the future
February 2, 2010
By John Abbott
Decanter
Asia is the future of the global wine industry, and will grow at a faster rate than North America, according to new figures released by Vinexpo.
Highlight: The case for investing in fine wine
Laura Hughes
FTadviser.com
25th Jan 2010
Wine has seemingly fared well compared with other options within the alternative investment sphere. While fine art has risen by 9 per cent, collectable stamps by 61 per cent and residential property by 118 per cent over the decade to December 2009, some premium cases of wine from Bordeaux have risen by almost 900 per cent, according to fine wine exchange Liv-ex.
Chateau Lafite 1982 Fetches $46,700 at Hong Kong Wine Auction
By Le-Min Lim
www.bloomberg.com
23 Jan 2010
Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- A 6-liter bottle of Chateau Lafite 1982 fetched HK$363,000 ($46,700), nearly twice its presale high estimate, at a sold-out wine auction in Hong Kong as the quest for rarity and inflation concerns drove prices higher.
Wine Investment Market Report
Albany Portfolio Management (APM) was established early in 2009 to enable private individuals to invest in fine wine and operates in association with Albany Vintners, a highly renowned and long established wholesale fine wine merchant. APM has one simple objective; to add wealth to its customers.
By James Fletcher
Albany Portfolio Management
6th Jan 2010
Fine wine was the best investment of the decade
By Jill Papworth & Patrick Collinson
The Guardian
21st Nov 09
Fine wine was the best investment of the decade, with the top French vintages earning returns that far oustripped equities, gold and property. The average price of a fine bordeaux red jumped 138% in the noughties, equal to a gain of 11% a year, with the most sought-after labels, such as Lafite Rothschild, up almost 10-fold.
Fine wines expect bumper year
By
Fine wine investors can expect double-digit returns this year as strong demand from Asia and minimal volatility are lifting prices from their lows of 2008, according to the Wine Investment fund.
The impact of China on the wine investment market.
By
Two words form the key to wine investment: supply and demand. However, supply of the very finest wines has always been painfully limited (and ultimately diminishing – very helpful), so what caused the outrageous performance of the market through ‘03 – ‘08, and why the sudden and dramatic pick-up of recent months?
Where the wealthy are investing their money
By
Wealthy investors are once again turning to commercial property and, with economic anxiety easing, are also seeking more esoteric ways to generate returns, such as fine wine and rare coins.
Read moreWine-Auction Market Rises 12 Percent in Third Quarter
By Peter Meltzer
winespectator.com
14 October 2009
There has been a growing buzz among enthusiastic collectors and certain auctioneers that the auction market is back on track. And data from the third quarter of 2009 would appear to bear that out: the Wine Spectator Auction Index rose 12 percent above its previous average, to its highest level since the third quarter of 2008. Prices for 65 percent of the wines tracked in the auction database surpassed their second-quarter 2009 results, with many listings rising by 50 percent or more.
Read moreWine is now fine for investment too
By Sanjeev Sinha.
economictimes.indiatimes.com
11 Oct 2009
With investors across the world scrambling to find safer opportunities in the wake of the financial meltdown, wine has started to figure more prominently in investment portfolios, particularly of HNIs. More and more people who have grown to love wine as part of their lifestyle have begun to think of their favourite tipple as a safe haven for their savings and investments.
Read moreFlight into quality restores a fine wines merchant
By Bob Sherwood
FT.com
24th August 2009
When the economic crisis struck, prices of fine wines plummeted - and left Suffolk-based Seckford Wines fearing a painful recession.
Yet the fine wines merchant is actually increasing its "multi-million pound" turnover as the market has proved surprisingly resilient.
Read moreInvestors pour into liquid assets
By Ellen Kelleher
FT.com
17 July 2009
The returns on Château Lafite and Château Latour have outpaced the FTSE 100 over the past 12 months, prompting wine aficionados to add more bottles to their cellars instead of buying shares.
Ian Dodd, SurreyI was utterly thrilled to receive £13,000 into my account this month, having invested £5,175 with Albany less than a year ago.
November 2010
K OlivierI have recommended Albany Portfolio Management to many of my friends and that is testimony in itself as I do not do that lightly. I will continue to highly recommend them as I found them to be honest and hard working with a cutting professional edge sadly lacking elsewhere in the industry
E PrzygrodzkiI have found dealing with APM to be hassle-free, offering time and sound advice to the wine novice which I certainly am. The recent invitation to lunch at Brooklands [APM's storage facility] was a real treat...
E Przygrodzki...It is good to be able to put faces to the names of those we are dealing with and very interesting to be able to visit the 'caves' where our wine is stored. It was also rewarding to meet some of the fellow investors. A real cross section of people from all walks of life.
B GlassI discovered Albany Portfolio through a favourable article in Moneyweek. From the outset the team have been most helpful in advising me in this new area of investment for me...
B Glass...I am regularly kept up to date by regular emails and when there is especially interesting propostion by phone. I am delighted with the performance of the portfolio that I have built up in the last eighteen months and look forward to developing it further.
D RicciardiI have always been interested in wine mainly as a drinker, but also interested in its history, so after some very good detail from Albany I invested in Chateau Latour. I received a very nice certificate with all of my details on it and all of the relevant numbers. In that time, 2 years my investment has doubled which I am very pleased about
P AleyIt is always a pleasure dealing with APM. All its staff are very helpful, polite and knowledgeable and offer advice in a balanced manner. It is easy to trade (selling as well as buying!) and James and David are always happy to chat about my portfolio...
P Aley... Customer care is excellent. The latest and best wines are usually available with reasoned advice about why and when to purchase and at competitive prices. Thank you and well done APM!
I McKinnesAll of the APM team are highly professional and knowledgeable without a hint of the hard sell we have encountered elsewhere.
A FishleighI have been impressed by the advice received from my advisers in Albany Wine who combine a "gently gently" approach with professional fine wine expertise which has been very much appreciated. I would recommend them to other wine investors.
E PrzygrodzkiI was recommended APM by a friend and have now passed on my recommendations to my own friends as the number one company to use if you wish to invest in wine. The company has a sound backing offering the confidence an investor needs.