Collecting rare wines has long been a hobby for some. But it can also be a profitable investment for those who know what they are doing. Buying a fine wine, storing it and keeping it in good condition over a period of time, and then selling it at a later date can make you a lot of money if the right wine is chosen.

Of course, you can’t just go to the local supermarket, buy a bottle of wine for a fiver, stick in the cupboard for a couple of years, and expect to sell it for a fortune. However, for those who invest wisely there is a nice profit to be made. Choosing fine and rare wines or wines that have something unique and special about them is the key. Recently a two hundred year old white wine became the world’s most expensive when it was sold for £75,000. Although anything close to this sort of price tag is rare, that doesn’t mean there isn’t money to be made.

What makes investing in wine attractive to many is that it serves as a hobby as well as a way of making money. They are interested in the wine they are investing in so enjoy the process. Unlike other types of investment, it isn’t just about making money but a hobby which can make money.

There has never been a time when investing in the right wine has been more profitable. As an investment some wines have out-performed gold in what has been a good period for gold investment. Some of the top wines have tripled in value over the last five years. You don’t find many investments that increase by 300% in half a decade.

Although there are occasions when the value of wines can increase by this sort of amount, in the majority of cases wine has to be a long-term investment for any significant profits. It usually takes between five and ten years to get a good return, but in most cases more like twenty to thirty years for a very large profit, although it is difficult to predict this far ahead.

Like investments in the financial markets investment in wine can go down in value as well as up, and it is therefore wise to spread investments to spread the risk. It is advisable to purchase different types of wines from different regions rather than putting all your eggs in one basket.

The main reason that the top wines can rise in value is that demand exceeds supply, and this always drives up the price. The more people want something, and the less there is available, the more it will cost. Therefore, the rarer the wine, the more you stand to make once you come to sell. It is something that is harder to get hold of so people are willing to pay more to get their hands on it.

Investing in wine is not for everyone, but it is something that can prove very profitable if investing in the right wines. Whereas some wines will not appreciate in price at all, others can do so significantly.

Andrew Marshall (c)