With the fluctuations in performance of the stock market and low returns on investment accounts, we are being asked more and more about investing in wine. At Tanners we have not used the term investment to sell wine since the 1966 vintage. Of course we would love you to invest all your money in wine but it may not be financially prudent to do so!

Many of our customers enjoy buying their wine early ‘lying abroad’ or ‘en primeur’ when they have the pick of the harvest. Long term, over a number of vintages, customers will have paid less for their wine and they will have enough of the best to cover their future drinking. We have always said that, ‘If you have a bit left after your drinking, long term, you will invariably get your money back and a little more’.

People who make spectacular returns on odd cases will tell you about it, but they will keep quiet about the modest performance of the rest. Wine prices on the secondary market are extremely volatile. They are highly responsive to down turns in the economy and reputations are easily destroyed by the verdicts of one or two very influential journalists. You should think long term and take an overall view. Don’t restrict yourself to fine clarets and vintage Ports, there are plenty of wines from many corners of the world which will provide wonderful future drinking.