Dean Harper visits Paul Jaboulet in the Rhone
23.11.08
HarperWells' Dean Harper travelled to the Northern Rhone to visit the winery and vinayards of the rejuvenated Paul Jaboulet estate. The highlights included a visit to the famed La Chapelle Hermitage vineyards, a visit and tastings at the cellars of Jaboulet and a cookery lesson at Pic - the 3 star cathedral of food in Valence.
HarperWells visit Domaine Leflaive and Les Ecole du Vins et des Terroirs
23.11.08
Ed Wells and Dean Harper of HarperWells spend a busy 48 hours at the Ecole du Vins et des Terroirs and Domaine Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet.
Beat the Bank with Fine Wines BBC TV
18.11.08
In a world of economic woe, it is good to know that there is some good news on investments! On Thursday 13th November, BBC2 screened a 1-hour feature programme called Beat the Bank, hosted by entrepreneur and 'Dragon' Duncan Bannatyne. Duncan's challenge was to see whether a £10,000 investment in fine wine, antiques or art would beat returns made from bank interest over a 3 month period.
Stepping up to the plate on the wine front was Steve Weids, who was selected from a shortlist of candidates from the UK trade having impressed Duncan and his team with his knowledge, experience and track record. Under the considerable pressure of investing Duncan's money in front of a few million TV viewers, Steve didn't disappoint, producing a net return of 29.6% over the 3 month period, comfortably ahead of the bank!
Steve: "Working on the show was a real adventure, especially with the 3 month restriction! It is so exciting to be able share my passion for wine and I hope my experiences may have tempted a few more people to explore the fascinating world of fine wine investment."
Investing in fine wine offers an attractive way of diversifying an investment portfolio in a tax-efficient manner and with the added advantage of being far more fun and enjoyable than buying government bonds. Right at the moment, there are tremendous buying opportunities. Investments in wine should be regarded as mid-long term (normally a 5 year play) but Steve proved that it is possible to produce outstanding results in a much shorter time with the right advice and contacts.
Ridge Vineyards - New Vintages On-Line
22.10.08
HarperWells are building on their relationship with Paul Draper and Ridge Vineyards (California) with a selection of the new releases from this iconic estate. New wines include 06 Lytton Springs, Geyserville and 05 Santa Cruz Mountains. Monte Bello 2004 Chardonnay and 2003 York Creek Zinfandel.
How to solve a liquidity problem (The Times)
01.10.08
In a cold, dark cellar in Paris lie some of the world’s finest wines: 12 bottles of Château d’Yquem, a case of Château Margaux and a 1985 bottle of Romanée-Conti, estimated to be worth almost £4,000