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Whether you love wine or simply want to diversify your investment profile, fine wine investing could be a fun way to earn dividends. Wine is actually a stable long-term investment—and it’s generally not as volatile as playing the stock market. Apps like Vint make it easy to diversify your portfolio and make extra money.
Vint, which allows investors to buy shares of wine collections, is an entry-level introduction to fine wine investing. All you need is $25 to invest, and there are no annual fees or accreditation requirements.
Read on to discover how it works, the benefits, and more.
Vint overview
Vint allows investors to purchase shares of wine and spirit collections, just like purchasing stocks in other companies. This is called fractional ownership. The main benefit to Vint and companies like them is that they keep investor overhead costs low. You can get started in fine wine investing for very little money, and not have to worry about storing, selling, or otherwise managing the wine.
The app requires users to create an account and deposit money into it. Then users can choose shares of wine collections as they see fit. The wine collections have a fixed number of shares which must be sold by a certain day, or the money is returned. This is similar to Kickstarter’s process, but it’s specifically designed for fine wine and spirits.
When you own one or more shares, you have part ownership of that collection—but at this time, the shares can’t be sold until Vint launches their secondary marketplace.
Vint allows anyone to invest, so you don’t need to be an accredited investor to participate. However, non-accredited investors may not invest more than 10 percent of their net worth or annual income. Ultimately, this is a good thing: it ensures that you don’t invest more than you can afford to lose, especially if you’re just starting out.
Why invest in fine wine?
Fine wine is actually a stable investment, which can yield significant returns. It typically generates an overall return of 9 to 10 percent per year. Furthermore, some individual wines and wine brands have even better returns: one Montepulciano had a 78 percent return over three years, while a French Rhone brand offered a staggering 198 percent return over three years.
Assuming that your investment is managed by a savvy company or individual, fine wine investments can be quite lucrative—even for new investors.
Vint app and investment features
The Vint app is relatively straightforward. Users can create an account and deposit money, which they’ll use to invest in a collection. Every two weeks, new wine and spirit collections go live, ranging from respectable collections of affordable wine to single bottles of fine whiskey and other spirits. Investors can browse the collections and decide which ones they’d like to invest in. Shares typically range from $25 to $100.
There are no annual fees associated with Vint. Instead, the company takes small fees every time you purchase a share. When Vint sells a portion of your collections, you’ll get a distribution. Keep in mind that the collections are rarely sold off at once, so you’re likely to receive multiple distributions over time. However, if your collections lose money, the distributions are likely to be smaller than your initial investment.
The best part about Vint is that you don’t need to know much about wine in order to invest. Their wine experts are the ones selecting different collection options. They also buy and sell the wines, store them appropriately, and handle investment distributions.
When you browse the Vint app, you’ll notice that each collection has information describing why this collection should be profitable. You’ll also learn more about the wine itself, such as where it’s from, how it’s made, who owns the winery, and more. The end result is a diverse collection with significant profit potential.
Invest in Wine Today
Platform | Minimum Investment | Investments | Pros | Link |
 | $1,000 | Custom wine portfolio | Portfolios based on risk tolerance | |
 | $25 - $100 | Fine wine and spirit shares | Earn distributions from collection sales | |
 | $20,000 | Bourbon and Scotch Casks | Own entire whiskey casks |
Drawbacks to Vint
There are two main drawbacks to Vint. First, you can’t sell shares early—therefore, this is a long-term investment. Vint has plans to launch a secondary market, which will allow investors to sell off their shares before the collection itself is sold. However, that feature is currently not available. You should expect that your money will be tied up for an average of three to five years.
Second, your money may not actually “go to work” for you until the collection sells all its shares. Until this happens, your money is held in a third-party escrow account. If a collection takes a while to sell all its shares, it’s essentially tied up until they sell or the deadline passes. If the collection is not appropriately funded, all funds return to the investors, without subtracting fees.
Why you should try Vint
Vint is a great entry-level investment for people who want to diversify their portfolios. The returns can be quite profitable, depending on the collection you choose. Because you can invest as little as $25, it opens up new possibilities for newer investors. You’ll be able to invest in some of the world’s finest wines and spirits, without the massive financial backing most of these collections would require.
Furthermore, investing in fine wine and spirits is often a smart choice. Wine prices do not correlate with stock prices, so this is a good way to hedge your bets. Your investments should reflect the overall performance of the fine wine and spirit asset class, rather than hinging on one specific collection.
Finally, because Vint allows non-accredited investors to purchase collection shares, it’s a low-risk way to get started investing.
The bottom line
Vint’s investment opportunities are an interesting and educational way to diversify. The company and app are designed to appeal to investors of all experience levels, and the low financial bar to entry ensures that virtually anyone can begin a wine investment journey. Download the app, research collections, and find out whether investing in wine and spirits is right for you.