Questions and Answers
Exit strategy
Taxes
Risks and rewards
Wine subscription
Accounts and payments
FAQ
Can I pay you in Bitcoins?
Which documents do you require for account opening?
We do not accept for payment any cryptocurrencies.
We do not require any specific documents. All we need is your contact information such as your email and/or phone number. We may also need your address for invoicing if this is required by your bank. Our business activities are not regulated and therefore we do not have to follow any “Know Your Customer” (KYC) procedures.
Do you accept payments in currencies other than Swiss Francs?
Yes. We accept all major currencies.
Can I ask you to transfer proceeds from sale of my wine portfolio to a third party?
Yes. We will transfer your funds according to your written instructions.
Can I receive proceeds from sale of my wine portfolio in cash?
This is possible but we will need some extra time to collect your funds in cash from the bank. Such operation is only possible in Switzerland. There might be a small fee charged by the bank for cash withdrawals.
Which subscription offer would you recommend?
Can a third party transfer funds for my wine investments?
All subscription offers are well balanced and we do not have any preference. Generally speaking you will have better returns with a more diversified portfolio. In alternative investments such as art, watches, coins, and cars, experts recommend to stick to collectibles attractive to you personally. We would recommend the same approach with wine.
How do you guarantee the provenance of wines?
Yes. All we need is to receive the full payment of an outstanding invoice. It does not matter where the funds are coming from.
All wines sourced En Primeur through a selected subscription service have the best possible provenance. They are delivered directly from wineries through a single distribution point – trading company with an allocation from winery. We source other wines only from either direct distributors or top trading companies that guarantee provenance. The provenance of wine is checked once again at the storage facility to comply with insurance requirements.
Why are you not offering subscription to other wines? I am particularly interested in Burgundy.
Is wine investment financially risk-free with a guaranteed return?
Majority of investment-grade Burgundy wines are produced in tiny quantities (sometimes just a few cases are available). Therefore we simply cannot guarantee there availability. That said, we can certainly put together a sourcing strategy if you are interested in any particular Burgundy wine.
No. Fine wine is an alternative investment instrument. Though largely uncorrelated with mainstream markets, risks of unfavorable price movements still exist and therefore positive return on investment cannot be guaranteed as in the case of most financial instruments. That said, wine is a truly unique asset class with quantity shrinking over time. Stable demand for rare wines combined with their diminishing supply is a combination, which will inevitably push its price higher over long term.
Can I open a corporate account?
Can you complete my subscription with wines from previous vintages?
What is the best exit strategy for my wine investments?
Why are my wines and your management fee are not subject to VAT?
What is the average return on investment I can anticipate from my wine portfolio?
We definitely can source you wines from previous vintages to complete your vertical collection. These wines will be sourced on the open market through reliable suppliers within 4-6 weeks.
All wines we source are stored in a UK government bonded warehouse, i.e. they are not cleared by customs and therefore not subject to VAT and customs duties. Vintage Wines SA is a Swiss company and therefore any overseas business transactions with non-residents are exempt from Swiss VAT. Swiss residents will pay VAT only on our management fee.
Return on investment is influenced by many variables such as timing of investment, price, vintage, dynamics of critics’ scores, wine brand. We performed an in-depth analysis of numerous variables for hundreds of investment-grade wines and narrowed them down to a handful of fine and rare wines offering excellent opportunities for long-term capital appreciation.
Exit strategies range from a simple consumption of your favorite wine for pleasure to auctioning your collection. Our subscription service targets the latter option as immaculate vertical collections of top wines will always be attractive to leading auction houses. Alternatively there is always a market for fine and rare wine with strong demand from collectors, investment funds, and fine restaurants. We will advise you on the best exit strategy once you decide to sell your portfolio.
Yes. The jurisdiction of your company does not matter.
Can I collect wines in single bottles?
Do you have any referral program?
You can but we would advise against such approach. Rare wines are most valuable when kept in intact original packaging. And this is exactly how we source them. All wines in the offered subscription service are delivered in Original Wooden Cases (OWC). Formats of non-subscription wines may be different. Some top Burgundy wines, for example, are still packaged in cardboard boxes.
Yes, we have an incentive program offering a 5% cash-back reward for bringing new clients. The reward is paid on the amount of the first investment.
Can you source wines other than those listed in your subscription options?
How long should I hold my wines?
Do I have to pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on my wine investment?
Can you provide a professional investment advice on various asset classes?
We certainly can! As you can see from the list here (our wine holdings) our clients also invest in wines from Burgundy and Tuscany.
Logistics
When will my wines be delivered to the storage facility?
It depends on your jurisdiction. In many jurisdictions wine is considered a “wasting asset”, i.e. an asset with a predictable life span at the time of acquisition not exceeding 50 years, and therefore it is not subject to CGT. We recommend discussing taxation questions with your financial advisor.
No, the nature of our business is to facilitate investment in fine and rare wine. We do not offer any investment advice. Please read our Disclaimer for detailed information.
The longer the better. Wine stock is shrinking over time so patient investors will be rewarded with the highest returns. We recommend keeping you wine portfolio for at least 5-7 years before considering an exit.
Bordeaux En Primeur campaign for a previous year vintage occurs each year in June-July. Wines purchased En Primeur are delivered during spring time, two years later. For example, 2016 vintage Bordeaux wines purchased En Primeur in early summer of 2017 are delivered in spring of 2019. The cadence for Burgundy and Tuscany wines is similar: Burgundy En Primeur starts late winter of the year following the vintage with delivery scheduled in summer two years later.
