Everything you need to know about investing in the right wine
Words: India Gladstone
For some, wine starts and ends with buying a bottle after a long day at work and enjoying it over the course of a day or two. And for the rare and lucky few, it means delving deep into a cellar and picking a bottle of the finest vintage. It’s often assumed that because a gentleman may not have access to the best wine cellar in the world, he therefore cannot invest in a proper selection of the world’s best grapes. And with the help of Berry Brothers & Rudd wine expert Adam Holden, we’re here to blow that theory right out of the water.
“Why invest in wine? An essential component in the Gentleman’s armoury is a well cultivated interest in wine, assuming you enjoy it of course. And whilst wine may well be increasingly viewed as a commodity by many, let’s not forget that the raison d’être of this increasingly precious liquid is to be enjoyed.
Drawing on a bottle from your cellar, which has matured under your very own auspices, to which you have awarded your care and patience, is a rare treat and one which will reward you throughout your life. Rather distressingly the vast majority of wine which is purchased in the UK is consumed within 48 hours of purchase. A sad fact when so many of them will only show their true (enjoyment) value after of period of resting gently in the bottle. But for the majority of us who are not fortunate enough to have a voluminous, perfectly cool and humid cellar at our disposal there are other options to ensure the safety of your prize.
Buying mature wine can be both expensive and risky, good storage being key to its survival, and thus buying young wines to drink in the future is really the only sensible thing to do. Building a rich and varied cellar will offer a lifetime of pleasant distraction and without the backbreaking work involved in gardening, for instance, and, let’s face it, most of your friends would rather help you drink your 15-year-old Claret than hear about your rose bushes.”
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
