Who to trust when you invest in wine?

Wine investment has seen a massive increase in popularity over recent years, fueled by investors looking for a safe haven compared to the traditional stocks and shares or buy-to-let markets which have seen wild fluctuations since the credit crunch of 2008.

With this surge in popularity sadly have come the get rich quick companies, promising unrealistic returns in double quick time and these have damaged the reputation of an industry that has existed for over 200 years and has provided very attractive returns for the wealthy elite for whom historically wine investment was a fairly closed shop.

The good news is that Vin-X offers a professional service to all clients looking to explore this exciting investment area and are highly experienced at dealing with first time investors. Vin-X understand their concerns and provide all the information you need to make an informed decision on whether wine investment is a suitable addition to your investment portfolio.

Key facts about investment in fine wine:

• Consistent average annual double digit growth in the last 60 years
• Wine outperforms FTSE, S&P, ISAs and other commodities
• Wine offers investment diversification – brand and vintage
• Currency hedge — wine is a truly global offering

• Potential tax advantages (CGT) check with your IFA
• Fine wine prices are not directly correlated with other asset classes, eg equities

“The fine wine market is expected to grow by 10% in 2012 as strong value buying opportunities for buyers and investors emerge, says a global survey of the wine trade. ”

Harpers Magazine 15 th February 2012

Why clients trust Vin-X?

Vin-X is the UK’s leading fine wine investment specialist. Our goal is to provide a safe and secure environment for our clients by investing in only the most promising Bordeaux vintages available. We operate in a completely transparent manner with all client dealings and provide regular progress updates to allow clients to monitor the performance of their investment.

Vin-X operates from offices in Surrey with over 20 full time staff and invites clients and individuals considering investing in fine wine to visit them there.

Vin-X is fast becoming one of the industry’s foremost commentators and has appeared so far in 2012 on BBC Radio 4 and 2, CNBC, Bloomberg, Talk Radio Europe and been interviewed in printed press and digital media including Square Mile and the Huffington Post where we are called upon for our thoughts and opinions on the market.

Vin-X clients benefit from professional operating standards that ensure the investor is protected:

• All telephone calls with Vin-X are recorded for training and quality purposes and to ensure an accurate record of the call
• Vin-X clients are entitled to a seven day ‘cooling-off’ period to be certain of their decision to invest and have the opportunity to cancel the transaction within this period by notifying Vin-X administration accordingly
• A chartered accountancy firm undertakes an independent audit under Financial Reporting Standards every year to determine the correct recording of investment transactions. Knill James Chartered Accountants checks that the Vin-X Client wines are stored and referenced correctly.
• The independent review also checks wines bought en primeur that have been bottled and shipped and that these wines have been physically received into London City Bond and ownership correctly referenced to the client.
• Clients are able to visit London City Bond to view their wine and we can also provide condition reports with digital photographs of their wine on request.
• Vin-X employs its analytical expertise in appraising investment wines for clients and selects wines they believe offer growth potential in line with an investor’s goals
• Vin-X provides regular performance updates to clients on their fine wine investment with a view to assisting the client achieve their investment goals.
• Vin-X provides its clients with regular news feeds on industry issues and events, which may impact on wine values along with specific information on chateaux and individual wine details.
• Vin-X client wines are stored at London City Bond’s Vinotheque facility and are clearly labelled with the Client’s HM Revenue & Customs approved individual rotation number and name, ensuring a correct record of title of ownership with the investor.
• The provenance of the wine is protected, by storing it within our chosen bonded storage facility at London City Bond. This ensures the perfect conditions to protect the integrity of a client’s wine and is an important factor in determining the future value of it.
• All client wines are fully insured.
• Vin-X is a member of the London International Vintners Exchange (Liv-ex), the leading exchange and value indicator for fine wine.

See the trade press article in Harpers magazine by Peter Shakeshaft, Vin-X founder, on the industry working together to protect investors in fine wine.