far east investors seeking wine label perfection, says sutcliffe
By 2012-8-14 14:18:49
When it comes to a fine wine investment, a growing number of would-be buyers from Asia are seeking bottles with near-perfect labels, according to Serena Sutcliffe.
The sentiment echoes the findings of a recent report published by market analysts Wine Intelligence, which found that a majority of affluent investors surveyed as part of the study, favoured sophisticated looking wine labels.
In these instances, respondents said they felt reassured by the presence of a smart label, which they believed indicated that the wine inside was a worthy purchase.
However Ms Sutcliffe, who is the head of Sotheby's wine department, believes that focusing on the elegance of a wine bottle's label is a mistake.
According to the Drinks Business, the Bordeaux expert made the assertions during an address to attendees at a fine and rare wine course in Vienna, Austria, earlier this month.
“We’ve seen a change from new clients, who want the label to be perfect, even if the wine is 40-50 years old,” she claimed, speaking primarily of Asian collectors with the market for fine wine proving popular in China along with Indonesia and Thailand.
“When it was a European buyer, if they saw damp, soiled labels they knew it would be a great collection to buy – they knew the conditions were good, because a damp cellar meant the cork was expanded.
“For many reasons that’s not how the new money sees it – they want the label to be perfect – and it is difficult unless the wine has come straight from the château and it has been labelled just before it left."
Ms Sutcliffe observed that while any damage to the label is noted in catalogue and prior to sale, many investors shy away from such bottles despite their obvious worth on the market today.
She warned that in many of these instances, these individuals are missing out on fantastic opportunities to purchase Bordeaux wines because of what Ms Sutcliffe describes as a "tragic" search for perfection.
The sentiment echoes the findings of a recent report published by market analysts Wine Intelligence, which found that a majority of affluent investors surveyed as part of the study, favoured sophisticated looking wine labels.
In these instances, respondents said they felt reassured by the presence of a smart label, which they believed indicated that the wine inside was a worthy purchase.
However Ms Sutcliffe, who is the head of Sotheby's wine department, believes that focusing on the elegance of a wine bottle's label is a mistake.
According to the Drinks Business, the Bordeaux expert made the assertions during an address to attendees at a fine and rare wine course in Vienna, Austria, earlier this month.
“We’ve seen a change from new clients, who want the label to be perfect, even if the wine is 40-50 years old,” she claimed, speaking primarily of Asian collectors with the market for fine wine proving popular in China along with Indonesia and Thailand.
“When it was a European buyer, if they saw damp, soiled labels they knew it would be a great collection to buy – they knew the conditions were good, because a damp cellar meant the cork was expanded.
“For many reasons that’s not how the new money sees it – they want the label to be perfect – and it is difficult unless the wine has come straight from the château and it has been labelled just before it left."
Ms Sutcliffe observed that while any damage to the label is noted in catalogue and prior to sale, many investors shy away from such bottles despite their obvious worth on the market today.
She warned that in many of these instances, these individuals are missing out on fantastic opportunities to purchase Bordeaux wines because of what Ms Sutcliffe describes as a "tragic" search for perfection.
From http://www.dittonwinetraders.co.uk