If you’re a serious wine connoisseur, you know that the French have dominated the conversation for hundreds of years. Even if you’re a casual wine drinker, you know that the vintages that originate in France are more likely to garner “oohs” and “aahs” from your guests. The optics surrounding French wine allows some select vineyards (that we’ve written about in the past) to create outstanding vintages and not have to throw much marketing power behind them – the names alone are enough to create intrigue and awe.  We wanted to shift your attention, though, albeit temporarily, to another famo ..read more

A recent Knight Frank analysis released some very fortunate news for Liquid Opulence and its clients: wine has officially overtaken fine handbags and rare whisky as the top performing luxury investment asset from June 2020-June 2021.  During this 12-month period, investment-grade wine prices increased 13%, allowing this precious asset to take the lead over other tracked luxury goods like fine arts, collectable cars, jewelry, rare coins and investment whiskies.  Image by By Herry Lawford As we wrote in 2020, luxury handbags were considered a better investment than fine arts and coll ..read more

First Growth Bordeaux Wines The First Growth wines of Bordeaux are the most notable and expensive wines in the world, and are truly in a class of their own. Anyone with even a casual interest in investment-grade wines knows that the First Growths (French: Premier Cru) are the most elite collection, coveted by anyone wishing to start a wine investment portfolio.  We are going to take you through the history of the First Growths and how only five wines have been deemed worthy of this classification. If what you read today grabs your interest, we will explain at the end of this article how y ..read more

If you’re thinking about getting a portfolio started, there’s one benefit from investing in fine wine that you may not have considered: the exemption from the United Kingdom’s Capital Gains Tax.  As with any financial decision and consideration, though, it is important to receive guidance from a chartered accountant who will be able to analyse your individual situation.  Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) considers wine to be a wasting asset. So, what does that mean for your portfolio and tax threshold?  What are “Wasting Assets”?  A wasting asset is an item that ha ..read more

Invest or Drink: The Wines We Love Right Now If you’ve read our collection of articles and speculations on our blog, you know we typically write about how and why to invest in rare wines and spirits as well as what’s been happening in the markets on which we build your portfolios.  For a quick content departure, though, we wanted to put the spotlight on three wines we are loving at the moment: Romanée Conti, Henri Jayer and Domaine Leroy. We’d like to divulge exactly why these wines are at the top of our list this quarter and how you can get your hands on some of the finest domaines in th ..read more

This last year has been challenging for countless businesses and individuals. The rich got exponentially richer and the middle class was left in a state of limbo. But even if you don’t have 10 figures in your bank account after a disastrous 2020, there are luxury investment opportunities ripe for 2021.  That said, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted a number of markets, but we’re glad to report that there are still sectors that have incredible growth potential. We’ve put together a quick guide to the most lucrative investment forecasts for 2021 to escalate your portfolio and diversify you ..read more

When you think about investing in alcohol, what probably comes to mind first is the Fine Wine industry. And believe us, Liquid Opulence is no different – we’ve been espousing the benefits of fine wine investments since our inception more than a decade ago.  But in recent years, investing in rare whisky has given enthusiasts a chance to get rich off of their favourite drink. The investment market for whisky is booming. For those looking to diversify their portfolios, investing in the hard stuff has never seemed more attractive.  Some background information:  For some, “whisky” co ..read more

The unfolding COVID-19 crisis has torpedoed sales in most industries, but luxury investments continue to allure savvy-buyers with proven resilience to economic downturns. Fine wine specifically has withstood a severe hit to assets, an encouraging sign to long-term investors.  The S&P Global Luxury Index, tracking 80 of the largest publicly traded luxury goods companies, has fallen nearly 24% since the beginning of the year. However, the trading prices of the most popular investment wines remained steady, falling only 4% amidst a global pandemic.  It is worthwhile to note, the fin ..read more

The social and economic ramifications of Covid-19’s rapid spread have been felt on a global scale. Millions are forced to work from home while attempting to slow the spread of this deadly virus. Millions more are on the front lines attempting to help provide essential services and goods to those impacted.  The economy has felt the global shockwave as well, with the Fed cutting rates half a percentage point and major corporations, like Macy’s, furloughing the majority of its employees.  There is some good news for wine investors, though. According to Liv-ex, the UK’s main trading plat ..read more

Serious wine drinkers know the market is saturated with claims of “the best decanter” or the most refined way to drink the wine you’ve purchased.  We’re here to tell you exactly why the iFAVINE smart decanter is the best investment for your home. And, as a bonus, why having it will impress everyone you know.  What is a smart decanter?  Traditionally, all a wine needs to properly decant is oxygen. Unfortunately, the air only contains 21% pure oxygen, and that’s why decanting takes such a long time.  A smart decanter can aerate the wine and filter unwelcome chemicals in a fr ..read more