Why it pays to collect the things you are passionate about

05 BEYOND BURGUNDIES

According to Wine Searcher, the top 10 wines of Burgundy appreciated in value by almost 17 per cent last year. While Burgundies are still the go-to wines for investors and continue to be a major area of growth, William Kelley, a reviewer for The Wine Advocate covering Burgundy, California Central Coast and Washington State, predicts a growing interest in lesser-known producers who also make high-quality wines. “Only six or seven years ago, it was possible to buy the Côte-Rôtie from Domaine Gentaz-Dervieux for USD30 to USD40. Now, a bottle is typically USD3,000. But only the astute saw that coming.”

Another notable arena for growth are wines from the best producers of Barolo and Barbaresco in northern Italy, which have been rocketing in value for a year or two, says Kelley. He also collects wines from producers who no longer make wine due to retirement or demise, for instance the wines of Henri Jayer and Jacky Truchot, as these generate extremely high demand.

Despite the promising trajectory in the wine world, he cautions: “Valuable and collectible wines are increasingly priced at market value when they leave the producers, so it’s not as easy to make large and guaranteed profits as it was a few years ago.”