I'm very impressed by how quickly a number of new companies have been able to establish themselves as movers and shakers in the fine wine sector. Take, for example, Fine Wine Vintners Ltd. From their website (http://www.finewinevintners.co.uk):
'As one of the UK’s leading fine wine traders we are ideally positioned to assist clients to identify and acquire wines with the greatest potential to appreciate. We combine financial discipline, market insight and wine knowledge to optimise returns.'
'Access to Rare Stock
We have established a network of negociants, merchants and traders throughout UK and Europe. These relationships give us the opportunity to secure and dispose of stock in as cost-efficient manner as possible. Quality Control The unfortunate reality is that the wine industry, like so many other luxury goods, is subject to counterfeit and the supply of inferior stock. To combat this we insist all our suppliers provide us with provenance and verification of all stock. All of our stock is subject to this process. Almost all the wines we trade are OWC (Original Wooden Cases).'
Fine Wine Vintners has the network of contacts throughout the UK and Europe to arrange the re-sale of your wines at a moments notice. Ordinarily, we advise our clients when to take profits or when we believe optimal yields have been achieved. Naturally, care and attention is taken in order to ensure that best prices are achieved. Structuring your Investment. How your portfolio is structured depends greatly on the size of your traditional investment portfolio and your net worth. Initial investment and the length of term of the hold are very important as it will determine what we can recommend to you. Fine Wine Vintners generally advises new clients to dip their toe in the market with anything from £4,000 to £25,000 for individual portfolio and £50,000 to £250,000 for an independent fund or collective investment portfolio.'
Fine Wine Vintners has the network of contacts throughout the UK and Europe to arrange the re-sale of your wines at a moments notice. Ordinarily, we advise our clients when to take profits or when we believe optimal yields have been achieved. Naturally, care and attention is taken in order to ensure that best prices are achieved. Structuring your Investment. How your portfolio is structured depends greatly on the size of your traditional investment portfolio and your net worth. Initial investment and the length of term of the hold are very important as it will determine what we can recommend to you. Fine Wine Vintners generally advises new clients to dip their toe in the market with anything from £4,000 to £25,000 for individual portfolio and £50,000 to £250,000 for an independent fund or collective investment portfolio.'
•
Company history
Fine Wine Vintners Ltd was incorporated on 4th June 2009 as Fine Wine Investments Ltd. The company's name changed on 12th October 2009 to Fine Wine Vintnors Ltd and then changed (when someone realised that 'Vintnors' was a mispelling to Fine Wine Vinters on 16th November 2009. Again a mispelling but corrected on 24th November 2009, so company is currently registered as Fine Wine Vintners Ltd. The sole director is Bradleigh Anthony Caley, who has a Bromley post code. Their website mentions top Bordeaux wines as well as some top-end Australian wines.
If wine investment was regulated in the UK, then claims like 'as one of the UK’s leading fine wine traders' would have to have a more solid basis.
My advice
Despite the claim to be 'one of the UK's leading wine traders' Fine Wine Vintners Ltd have no track record, so I would not buy wine from them, especially if they offer Bordeaux en primeur. Buying Australian wine for investment is a lot more speculative than top Bordeaux and certainly not a choice for a wine investment beginner. If wine investment was regulated in the UK, then claims like 'as one of the UK’s leading fine wine traders' would have to have a more solid basis.
I was contacted last month by FWV and did a bit of research into them. Got the companies house report which was good as it stated as you have thier history. They say they have a long history in the business but the Director is in is 20s, and he is the 2nd Director of the company replacing the 1st a matter of weeks after incorporation.
ReplyDeleteWhen they called me back I ran over the report and told them I would not be investing, they were very persuasive and finally hung up on me when I told them the info came from Companies House.
I have also been repeatedly contacted by these clowns. They said that they had a good client list and when I asked who were their clients they mentioned Christys auctioneers, Gordon Ramsey etc. I asked them to send me the list so I could cross check with said clients. Heard nothing more from them. Definitely a scam
ReplyDelete"these Clowns" is right as stated by esse. They keep ringing me and always start off with their sales script. They're always sketchy with their answers , even their 'senior' brokers and every time they call i ask to be removed from their database - they've removed me four times so far. Dodgy at the best
ReplyDeleteThey called me today. When their man said they kept wine in bond to avoid Capital Gains Tax, I had to tell him he was mistaken. He then agreed his comment was not "completely" right to which I replied that it was completely wrong! I told him in the light of that mistake I had no confidence in anything else he had told me. This did not seem to faze him at all! I keep getting calls from people like this. On Monday it was an indian wanting to fix non-existent faults on my computer. I am beginning to enjoy wasting their time.
ReplyDeleteOh dear! they have gone into administration and a friend of mine had invested a considerable sum with them.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if they actually had any wine or was it all a scam?
BB
Administrators:
ReplyDeletePractitioner name: TATE, ANDREW JOHN
Practitioner address: 16HATHERLEY ROAD
SIDCUP
KENT
DA14 4BG
Practitioner name: AILYAN, NEDIM PATRICK AILYAN
Practitioner address: 16HATHERLEY ROAD
SIDCUP
KENT
DA14 4BG