How does manually listing my wine for sale differ from holding until the optimal time for my portfolio manager to sell?
At Vinovest, you always own your wine 100%, which means you have the right to list it for sale at any time, including prior to its optimal selling window. However, choosing to liquidate early has some considerable downsides, particularly for your bottom line, as compared to holding the wine until it is mature.
Here’s why waiting for the right moment matters:
Holding to Maturity (Recommended)
Wine is a long-term asset, and your Vinovest portfolio will comprise wines with varying time horizons, typically between 7 and 10 years of holding time. When those wines are mature, our team is positioned to get you the highest possible sale price with a few proactive steps:
- Access to High-End Buyers
Our team targets collectors, restaurants, and premium buyers willing to pay more for high-quality, rare wine. Collectively, we can leverage deeper access to the secondary market than most individual sellers would enjoy, and thereby command the most competitive asking prices.
- Bundled Sales for Higher Returns
Our team manages thousands of portfolios. By bundling your wine with other high-end listings, we can sell it in bulk for higher overall returns.
- Market Timing Expertise
Our team knows the wine market better than anyone in the industry. We monitor trends, availability, and demand to make sure your wine is sold when interest and pricing are at their peak.
Manually Listing Your Wine for Sale Prematurely (Not Recommended)
When you choose to sell your wine early, your listing is placed on the open market, typically through an exchange. While this allows you to get visibility to liquidate your investment, it also comes with a few trade-offs and drawbacks you should consider.
1. Slower Sales Speed
Selling early won’t mean instant cash—it can still take time to find a willing buyer on an exchange, depending on how you price your wine.
2. Missed Opportunities for Premium Buyers
Top-dollar buyers almost never buy their wines on the open exchange, meaning you’ll have limited to no exposure to them if you sell early.
3. Reduced Profit Potential
Early buyers on exchanges are often traders or scalpers seeking the best deal. These price-sensitive buyers monitor the market for discounts, which can result in your wine selling for less than its true potential.
4. Think of it Like Selling a House
Real estate, another long-term, illiquid asset, can be a useful comparison here. Selling your wine early is like selling your house to a bargain-hunting wholesaler—you liquidate the asset, but at the cost of a higher return, potentially even at a loss. Holding to maturity so our team can find a buyer is like getting professional staging and exclusive showings: your house goes to someone who truly appreciates it, it sells at a premium, and you maximize your profit.
How do I list my wine for sale?
You can list the wine in your Vinovest portfolio for sale at any time. To do so, follow these steps:
Step 1: Click into your account settings in the top right corner
Step 2: Click “Selling” on the left side
Step 3: Continue through the listing confirmation flow until you are sent a confirmation link via email
Step 4: Once you select the confirmation link, all wines in your portfolio will be added to the listing queue. (Note: These wines are not yet listed for sale.)
Step 5: From here, you can access your listing queue by going to account settings → List My Wine → View Listings (or visit this URL: https://www.vinovest.co/account/liquidation-queue)
Step 6: Here, you will see a section that says “Create Listings”, where you can set a list price for each wine individually.
Note: Wines in the “Create Listings” section are not yet listed for sale, and wines in the “Listed for Sale” section are actively for sale.