Wine and food, especially wine and cheese, is a familiar topic. I have had to pair wine and music and also wine and art, but when I got a call from Garth Walker of Creative Media to work with his client, Scotia DBG Investments, on integrating wine in a discussion about investment funds, it was one of those things that make you go, “Hmmm”. This was in preparation for an all-female guest list event entitled “Chicks and Balances”.

It is always interesting to get a challenge like this, and the fact that so many similarities can be drawn from the world of wine to demonstrate or highlight a number of other subject matter areas makes it all the more exciting.

Making a choice

With the wide choice of investment options available today, how do you know which is the right strategy for you? In order to decide which type of investment is best for you, Adrian Reynolds, AVP Treasury & Trading Unit, suggested a shortlist of things to consider: (a) your personal circumstances, (b) your financial circumstances, and (c) your risk tolerance and your time horizon.

Similarly, in order to decide on what wine to buy, the following are a few things one usually considers depending on the occasion: (a) budget, (b) red or white, (c) sweet or dry, (d) light, medium or full body. Time horizon is a reality in the wine world, as some persons buy wine as the actual investment itself.

Wine as an investment

Like any investment, investing in wine requires research, understanding of the market and even more important, a good understanding of the risks involved. There are a host of organisations worldwide that offer services related to long-term wine investment. They will suggest what to buy and provide fancy graphs showing excellent returns over long periods of time. It is up to you the investor to make the right decision. Space does not permit us to delve into all the aspects of wine investments, but there are a few things to consider. There is a difference between collecting wine versus investing in wine — they sometimes might even find common ground. Collecting implies we might drink it at some time, while investing in it means we are looking to sell it and profit from it. We all ‘get a deal’ sometimes, be it a car or a new TV or a case of wine, and you feel great knowing that you have utility of this new asset at a much better price than most persons out there. If you decide to sell it, because of the ‘deal’ you got, you might make a profit. This is one of the big issues with investing in wine. On paper your collection might have appreciated in value, but how many buyers are willing to take it off your hands at your asking price? If this were a larger wine market, your chances might be better. As with any investment, be careful — knowing what to buy and when to buy is very important.

Prep for the party

In order to help the financial advisers and management team from Scotia DBG prepare for this female-clients-only event, we held a short wine course at Bin 26 Wine Bar where we went through the wine-tasting process, serving wine, opening and serving a bottle. Here’s a look at how they handled the event.

Cheers! Now please ensure that you have a balanced portfolio today.

Chris Reckord is a wine enthusiast. He and his wife Kerri-Anne are part owners of Jamaica’s only Wine Bar – Bin26 Wine Bar in Devon House, Kingston. Please send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com.

Follow Chris on twitter.com/DeVineWines