Vinovest Review: Wine & Whiskey Investing Pros, Cons, and Costs
Trying to make the most of vinovest review wine whiskey? You are in the right place. Below we break it down in plain English, with practical tips you can actually use.
Key Takeaways
- Share Some links on our website are sponsored, and we may earn money when you make a purchase or sign-up after clicking.
- Learn more about how we make money and read our review methodology.
- Vinovest is an online platform that gives investors access to wine and whiskey as alternative assets.
Vinovest is an online platform that gives investors access to wine and whiskey as alternative assets. This review explains how the platform works, what it offers, and the key pros and cons to be aware.
3.5/5Vinovest offers professionally sourced, insured wine and whiskey portfolios with relatively low minimums. But these are niche, illiquid assets with high fees and opaque valuation methods. For most investors, they’re unsuitable as a core holding. This platform is best for high-net-worth investors who can afford the risks, commit to long time horizons, and treat this as a lifestyle investment rather than a core holding.
Pros:- Portfolios provide diversification over purchasing individual bottles.
- A secondary marketplace for wine allows you the opportunity, but not the guarantee, to sell your collection.
- You own 100% of the wine and whiskey and can have bottles physically shipped to you.
- High fees (maximum of 2.85% annual fee).
- Penalties for liquidating holdings prior to three years.
- Negative consumer sentiment
Table of Contents
ToggleHow Vinovest’s Wine Investing Works
With Vinovest, you can choose to invest in wine or whiskey. They’re considered separate investments and they have separate minimums.
When it comes to wine investing, after signing up, I was asked the amount I was looking to invest and when I was planning to invest. Then, I was asked to choose from the available portfolio contribution options:
- Conservative. Curates wines with the goal of optimizing for downside protection.
- Balanced. Curates a wide variety of wines for maximum diversification.
- Aggressive. Curates wines from expected high-growth regions.
Once you fund your account, Vinovest invests your money into a portfolio of wines. It’s key to note that you’re not investing in a fund; instead, you own 100% of the wines in your portfolio.
Depending on the amount you’re investing, your portfolio is either algorithmically generated or customized by one of Vinovest’s human advisors (see the “Client Tiers” section below).
The process to purchase and sell wines for your portfolio takes 2-3 weeks.
Vinovest typically buys cases of wine, which can range in size from 3 to 12 bottles. That means a $1,000 portfolio may have limited diversification, since individual bottle prices are on the higher end. For example, the lowest bottle on the marketplace while I was testing it for this review was $57.
Clients investing over $50,000 get access to a wine futures market, where they can purchase wine that hasn’t been bottled yet, but which is expected to increase in value.
How Vinovest’s Whiskey Investing Works
Vinovest offers the ability to purchase entire casks of maturing whiskey. There are two main options available:
- Premier. Upgraded American whiskey casks starting at $1,750, with added benefits like annual trips.
- Ultra-Rare. Top tier offering with rare Scotch whisky casks beginning around $15,000. Includes a dedicated portfolio manager once your investment hits $50,000.
You retain full ownership of the whiskey cask, and Vinovest manages the storage and insurance on your behalf. If you want to take possession of the whiskey, the entire cask must be bottled before it can be shipped, and additional fees and taxes apply.
Casks are insured based on the type of whiskey. American whiskey is insured at the purchase cost, while Scotch is insured at its current market value, which Vinovest reappraises each year.
When you decide to sell, or when the cask reaches maturity, Vinovest works with its network of merchants and bottlers to arrange the sale.
Liquidity and timing depend on demand for the specific cask.
Vinovest Client Tiers and Fees
Vinovest has four client tiers. Your tier determines your annual fee, your level of access to a human advisor, and whether you can customize your portfolio.
Your tier is based on the total value of both your wine and whiskey investments.
- Standard. For account sizes between $1,000 and $9,999. Fees are 2.85%. Portfolios in this tier are fully algorithmically managed. You cannot choose specific wines unless you purchase individual bottles through the marketplace.
- Plus. For accounts between $10,000 and $49,999. Fees drop to 2.7%. This tier also uses algorithmic management with no portfolio customization, aside from manual purchases through the marketplace.
- Premier. For accounts between $50,000 and $249,999. Fees fall to 2.5%. Investors in this tier gain access to a human advisor and can help shape their portfolio. Premier clients can request specific wines and gain access to wine futures.
- Grand Cru. For accounts of $250,000 or more. Fees are 2.25%. This tier provides the highest level of personalization, including direct involvement in portfolio construction and access to a dedicated advisor.
Annual fees cover storage, insurance, authentication, and management. Fees are prorated across the year and charged only on invested capital. Cash balances are not subject to fees.
Vinovest Marketplace
The Vinovest marketplace allows you to purchase and sell individual wine bottles and full whiskey casks. These assets are stored in Vinovest’s bonded facilities and come from inventory owned by Vinovest clients, not from outside sellers.
You can use the marketplace without meeting the $1,000 minimum required for a managed portfolio. Marketplace purchases do not affect your ac
Final Thoughts
Before you check out, double-check vinovest review wine whiskey against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.
Originally published at thewaystowealth.com.
R.J. Weiss
Our editorial team researches and verifies every money-saving guide before publishing. Editorial policy · About us
