Stock market sharks are smelling wine like blood. This is not only due to the visual similarity between fermented grape juice and the burgundy-red fluid that rushes through our veins, but also because it works wonderfully as an investment.
Personally, however, the idea of buying wine at the right time in order to sell it at a profitable moment after a twenty-year power nap in the cellar is as weird to me as asking ChatGPT for dating tips. Objectively, of course, I understand that wine has become an investment – subjectively, I just don’t feel it.
As much as I love this cosmic beverage, it is clearly too volatile and irrational for me to consider it an economically stable investment case. A piece of gold is a piece of gold is a piece of gold. The same goes for a Porsche 911. A Rolex. And the Eames Lounge Chair, that hasn't been mistaken for a scratching post by a pack Persian cats. Wine, on the other hand, is a living product, a cultural asset with metaphysical power that doesn't always perform.
As much as I love this cosmic beverage, it is clearly too volatile and irrational for me to consider it an economically stable investment case. A piece of gold is a piece of gold is a piece of gold. The same goes for a Porsche 911. A Rolex. And the Eames Lounge Chair, that hasn't been mistaken for a scratching post by a pack Persian cats. Wine, on the other hand, is a living product, a cultural asset with metaphysical power that doesn't always perform.
Objectively, wine has become an investment – subjectively, I just don’t feel it.
One thing is certain: Wine has been collected, traded profitably, also auctions are an integral part of our beloved culture. This has been the case since 1806, when one of the first auctions took place in the former Eberbach Abbey in the Rheingau region. At that time, the auctions helped the so-called “Rhine wine” to gain an international reputation that could rival the great wines of Médoc and the sweet wines of Sauternes. In Germany and England, white Rhine wines, along with red wines from France, champagne, and sweet wines, have become an constant part of menus.
Particularly interesting: Today's Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter was founded in November 1910 as the Verband Deutscher Naturweinversteigerer. I repeat: The Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter was founded as the Verband Deutscher Naturweinversteigerer. Naturwein meaning natural wine, Versteigerer meaning auctioneers – what the helly? Sounds crazy, right? A change in wine law led to the new name, and the number of auctions declined, while image cultivation and the promotion of quality slowly came to the fore.
Well, it's no longer 1806, and 1910 is also a thing of the past. That's right, it's 2025, the ominous term “Rhine wine” is history, its reputation has gone down the drain, and other regions are on the rise. Those who can't resist and absolutely want to invest in wine now prefer to look to Tuscany or Piedmont, continue to keep an eye on Burgundy, cast a glance at Champagne, buy wines in Bordeaux even two hundred years later, swing their assess over to Rioja, or rattle down the Moselle with emphasis. In other words: Regions that enjoy worldwide interest. Connecting tradition, future, and present. Wines that are brands. Icons. Liquid legends. With a long breath and pridefully swollen chests. Made for eternity. Matured beautifully at a constant temperature, peppered with delicate signs of aging. Equipped with a crisp acidic backbone and noble tannins that adorn the palate with silk, framed by fine wood, that culminates in a dancing juiciness that does not lose its hip swing even in old age.
Particularly interesting: Today's Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter was founded in November 1910 as the Verband Deutscher Naturweinversteigerer. I repeat: The Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter was founded as the Verband Deutscher Naturweinversteigerer. Naturwein meaning natural wine, Versteigerer meaning auctioneers – what the helly? Sounds crazy, right? A change in wine law led to the new name, and the number of auctions declined, while image cultivation and the promotion of quality slowly came to the fore.
Well, it's no longer 1806, and 1910 is also a thing of the past. That's right, it's 2025, the ominous term “Rhine wine” is history, its reputation has gone down the drain, and other regions are on the rise. Those who can't resist and absolutely want to invest in wine now prefer to look to Tuscany or Piedmont, continue to keep an eye on Burgundy, cast a glance at Champagne, buy wines in Bordeaux even two hundred years later, swing their assess over to Rioja, or rattle down the Moselle with emphasis. In other words: Regions that enjoy worldwide interest. Connecting tradition, future, and present. Wines that are brands. Icons. Liquid legends. With a long breath and pridefully swollen chests. Made for eternity. Matured beautifully at a constant temperature, peppered with delicate signs of aging. Equipped with a crisp acidic backbone and noble tannins that adorn the palate with silk, framed by fine wood, that culminates in a dancing juiciness that does not lose its hip swing even in old age.
Speculative abuse of fine produce? Hell no. Wine is simply there to be drunk. Point blank period.
While I’m reading all this, one thing above all else comes to my mind: a thirst for great wine. Speculative abuse of fine produce? Hell no. Wine is simply there to be drunk. Point blank period.
Because when cultural assets become objects of speculation for a generation of money-hungry hedge fund managers, the ones who also pulled off devilishly clever mask deals during the coronavirus pandemic, then we, as a scene, as a community, yes, cheesy, but as a family, have a bit of a problem. The ones who suffer are the enthusiasts. The geeks. The nerds. The wine-loving people. The unicorn-hunting boys and girls out there. The brothers and sisters who work hard from Monday to Friday so they can treat themselves to a nice bottle of wine at the weekend with their hard-earned cash.
My love for wine culture is unconditional and not linked to profit. My love for wine culture is far removed from economic interests. Wine is not about generating returns or skyrocketing secondary market prices. Wine is not about profits. Nor is it about gathering dust in cellars to generate the greatest possible profit at some point in the future. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Wine wants to inspire and connect. To reconcile and touch. Wine wants to tell stories. About grape varieties. And about soils. About wooden barrels and steel tanks. About harvest times. About climatic conditions. The tides. About frost and hail damage. About rain. And very importantly: about the sunshine that follows and shines as bright as our smiles when we enjoy this beautiful beverage with our loved ones. That's what it's all about. Nothing more. And nothing less.
My love for wine culture is unconditional and not linked to profit. My love for wine culture is far removed from economic interests. Wine is not about generating returns or skyrocketing secondary market prices. Wine is not about profits. Nor is it about gathering dust in cellars to generate the greatest possible profit at some point in the future. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Wine wants to inspire and connect. To reconcile and touch. Wine wants to tell stories. About grape varieties. And about soils. About wooden barrels and steel tanks. About harvest times. About climatic conditions. The tides. About frost and hail damage. About rain. And very importantly: about the sunshine that follows and shines as bright as our smiles when we enjoy this beautiful beverage with our loved ones. That's what it's all about. Nothing more. And nothing less.
Milton Sidney Curtis, wine influencer and freelance writer, brings wit, edge, and charm to the world of wine with his writing. Whether it’s fine drops from small wineries or branded wines from global players: Sidney tastes, reviews, and stirs up debate. A self-proclaimed “silly ass” for everyone who loves wine!
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