Wine is not only fashionable, but also the object of desire of collectors and investors. It can be a very lucrative investment alternative. And fine and select wine clubs are flourishing all over the world. Proposals stand out such as the Scandinavian Rare Wine Invest, which is positioned as an investment boutique that works on its storytelling like a private banking company.
There are also initiatives such as that of the North American Vinovest, from which it is stated that “good wine and whiskey never go out of style. “Both enjoy a low correlation with traditional assets, making them largely immune to the ups and downs of the stock market.” This way, they add, investors “will be able to keep more of their profits when the rest of the market falters.” In fact, fine wine has generated annual returns of 10.6% for more than two decades, outperforming global stocks. Meanwhile, Knight Frank called the whiskey "the best-performing collectible of the decade."
With the idea of “bringing together the producers of the best wines in the world with the best consumers to form a strong community around a shared passion for wine,” FICOFI was born in 1990, as stated by Philippe Capdouze, its founder and president. They serve a global community of 300 members, who gain access to direct allocations at favorable prices, and have 80 wine producers around the world, such as the highly prestigious French Châteaux Lafite Rothschild, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, Haut-Brion, Cheval Blanc, Yquem, Petrus, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti or Leflaive. Every year they bring together their wine partners at Le Musée du Petit Palais, right next to the Champs-Elysées in Paris, in the so-called Le Palais des Grands Crus meeting.
And among many other proposals you can find that of the British Fine Rare, which is based on the idea of progress and success as market connoisseurs thanks to their management capacity, to deliver top quality wine to all corners of the world.
Similar proposals have also emerged in Spain in recent years. Insolity, born in autumn 2022, is the most notable. It is the new brand for lovers of great wines and spirits, with a focus not only on the consumption of high-end wines but also from the perspective of collecting and investment, with the help of the distributor Primeras Marcas (which represents wineries of international prestige since 1986). The project has a consolidated relationship with some of the most prestigious wineries in the industry, both in Spain and, especially, in Bordeaux and Burgundy, ensuring allocations of scarce, rare and very difficult to access wines.
Thus, Insolity offers the final consumer the possibility (today there are 219 members and 970 clients), to directly purchase great limited edition wines, with a series of high-end services. They stand out for their exclusivity in the form of membership levels and a tailored service, as well as La Cripta, the first wine storage space for individuals in Spain, based in Igualada. Its facilities are of high standing and guarantee the best safety and conservation conditions (light, sound or hygrometry) for the wines that rest there waiting to reach their fullness, while, in parallel, they increase their sentimental value (the vintage in a child was born, the year of a wedding) and increase its attractiveness as an investment value.
The director of Insolity, Audrey Vigne, states that “not only do they improve from the point of view of consumption-pleasure (great aging wines, given their longevity, are capable of offering incredible evolution over the years); They can also be a source of revaluation of investment portfolios or become a legacy for our loved ones.”
There are also more casual proposals in Spain, aimed at other, not so wealthy audiences. This is the case of the Corte Inglés Wine Club, Vinoselección, Club Vinos Gourmets, Verema or Contubernio from Jerez. Wine is Social is very active. Those responsible for it state that “it was created by a group of people crazy about wine and its more social dimension: wine is fully enjoyed when it is shared.”
They also did so convinced that the way wine was explained and sold had to change, moving away from “very complicated and intimidating languages.” And that is why they thought that “it was necessary to make it easier, more enjoyable, didactic and closer.” And they add that "describing wine in a technical way forgets the unique, often almost romantic, story that each wine can tell about its place and its people." Their mission, since they started as an online wine club and store in 2013, has been to “create a love for wine.”
In 2017, according to co-founder Manel Sarasa, they began their distribution activity convinced that “there was an opportunity to help restaurants improve their business with wine by advising on wine lists.” Currently, distribution is already the main business of Wine is Social, which sells to thousands of restaurants throughout Spain, distributes more than 700 wine references from prestigious brands and has launched innovative digital tools to optimize wine management in restaurants.
