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Small gains for fine wine in February

By March 3, 2022Fine Wine Market, Indices
  • The Liv-ex 100 index rose 0.4% in February.
  • This marked its smallest gain since May 2020.
  • Louis Roederer Cristal 2013 was the best-performing wine in February, up 9.7%.

*made with the Liv-ex Charting tool.

The Liv-ex 100 index rose 0.4% in February to close at 401.41. Although at a record level, this is the smallest increase for the benchmark index since the start of its bull run in June 2020. Over the past six months, the Liv-ex 100 has risen 1.3%, 3.9%, 2.2%, 2.7%, 2.6% and 1.9% respectively.

Slowing GDP growth and rising inflation, which has already impacted mainstream assets, are headwinds the secondary market must now contend with. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has likewise cast a pall over the market’s mood, especially in Europe where the impact on fuel and energy prices will be more immediately and keenly felt.

However, as an alternative, low-volatile asset, fine wine has managed to maintain its upwards movement for now.

The Liv-ex Fine Wine 50 index also rose 0.8% this month.

Champagne tops February price performers

Unlike in January, which saw wines up by as much as 46%, this month’s best-performers rose a more modest 6%-10%. Louis Roederer Cristal 2013 was the best performer, up 9.7%. The wine has enjoyed steady demand and last traded at £2,230 per 12×75.

Louis Roederer Cristal 2013 trades on Liv-ex

Another Champagne took the second spot – Bollinger La Grande Année 2012 with a 9% move. The other top performers came from the Rhône, Italy and Bordeaux.

About Liv-ex indices

The Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 Index is the industry leading benchmark. It represents the price movement of 100 of the most sought-after fine wines on the secondary market from France, Italy, USA, Australia and Spain.

The index is calculated using the Liv-ex Mid Price, which refers to the mid-point between the highest live bid and lowest live offer on the market. The prices are validated against additional data including transaction prices and are the most robust measure for pricing wines available in the market.

The reason for this is because other sources of fine wine price information and indices base their calculations on list prices. These are advertised prices, often collected from sellers who may be advertising wine that they don’t even have in stock. There is no firm commitment to buy or sell at an advertised price. The real value of the wine may be higher or lower than listed.

Liv-ex can uniquely provide prices from real transactions among the wine trade. These are historic trade prices, as well as firm commitments to buy or sell on the market at a given price. All transactions are standardised by condition and tax status, allowing you to make like-for-like comparisons. Our members value this because it is real, proven price information.

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