Berry Bros. & Rudd advises clients to expand their wine portfolios beyond the key regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux

Berry Bros. & Rudd has published its Fine Wine Report 2023, urging investors to “not neglect other regions” besides Burgundy and Bordeaux.

The UK’s oldest fine wine retailer, which will celebrate its 325th anniversary in 2023, has recently released its annual report, which offers suggestions on great wines to buy, enjoy, collect, or lay down in the next year.

The organization’s buyers, experts on the secondary market, and account managers worked together to make a look ahead at the year in wine.

While the French wine regions most strongly identified with good wine are expected to perform well, other European and American regions should not be neglected.

“Of course, Bordeaux and Burgundy are critical; their respective En Primeur promotions are our two busiest seasons of the year,” said Jake Dean, Berry Bros & Rudd’s director of sales and service, UK & Ireland.

However, he emphasized that it is “essential not to forget other regions like the Rhône, Champagne and the USA, that have an increasingly broad choice of collectable wines on sale too”.

Italy is also gaining popularity among merchants and collectors, notably in Piedmont and Tuscany, for the “quality, desirability, and ageworthiness of its best wines,” according to Dean.

Along with the classics of Burgundy and Bordeaux, its most recent study offers recommendations on a variety of outstanding wine locations, including the Rhône Valley, Champagne, Tuscany, Piedmont, and the United States.

The firm’s sales and service director also mentioned the collector’s market’s impact on the economy.

“In times like these, with significant economic headwinds, we are increasingly being approached about collecting wine for financial advantage,” he said.

Dean recommended that “a balanced collection of good wines and spirits can be a relatively steady long-term investment”, but encouraged investors to enjoy their bottles as well, saying “we’re not about purchasing just for financial return”.

Berry Bros. & Rudd is likewise making progress on its five-year plan, with operational profits tripling and turnover reaching £220.2 million, according to its November figures.