That way they can in effect get stocks of their favourite drink for free. The quality of the cork and of the cellars where the wine is stored can affect its condition, although this is rare with Bordeaux. The merchant will advise clients to drink a bottle of wine before it starts to deteriorate. If a client opened a bottle that the company had shipped over and it was not drinkable, they would also consider replacing it. Wine remains a popular alternative investment despite the risks because there are spectacular gains to be made.
Some experts warn that wine investors are finding it harder to make money.
There was an adjustment in the market in 1997 when the economic crisis in the Far East put a stop to Asian buyers who had been pushing up prices. But they are still double what they were in 1994. Hardy thinks the market is still overpriced and wine experts are divided on whether you need to look to the top end of the market to have the best chance of making money. It could produce returns of 5 or 10 per cent a year based on the past performance of the chateau. A common way to buy wine is en primeur, which involves ordering through a merchant before it has been bottled by the producers, when prices tend to be at their lowest.