15 Best Books On Wine Investing You’ve Got To Read

Diving into an informative book is a great way to get started on your wine investing journey (or any investment, for that matter.) 

Billionaire Warren Buffett reportedly spends about 6 hours a day consuming all types of written content. If you hope to start investing, he recommends reading about 500 pages a day to increase your knowledge. 

You can apply Warren Buffett’s approach when you begin your own journey in wine investing too. 

Not sure which wine investment book to read? Then you’ve come to the right place!

This article will cover the best books on wine investing and some useful tips on how to kickstart your wine investment (including how Vinovest might be your smartest option!)

15 Best Books on Wine Investing 

Here are the best books on wine investing to read right now:

1. Investing In Fine Wine: How to Buy, Sell, and Profit from the World's Most Delicious Asset
2. Investing In Liquid Assets: Uncorking Profits In Today’s Global Wine Market
3. Cellaring Wine: Managing Your Wine Collection...to Perfection
4. How and Why to Build a Wine Cellar
5. World Atlas of Wine
6. Wine Simple: A Totally Approachable Guide From A World-Class Sommelier
7. Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine 2022: The No 1 Best-Selling Wine Guide
8. Wine Folly: Magnum Edition: The Master Guide
9. The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia
10. Keys To The Cellar: Strategies And Secrets Of Wine Collecting
11. Wine Investment for Portfolio Diversification: How Collecting Fine Wines Can Yield Greater Returns Than Stocks and Bonds
12. The Complete Bordeaux
13. Adventures on the Wine Route: A Wine Buyer's Tour of France
14. The Wine Bible
15. Oz Clarke on Wine: Your Global Wine Companion

1. Investing In Fine Wine: How to Buy, Sell, and Profit from the World's Most Delicious Asset 

Author(s): Alex Andrawes and Darren Scott

Publication date: May 2017

This captivating wine education book by Alex Andrawes and Darren Scott reveals the different strategies for buying, selling, storing, and collecting great wine bottles. 

Expert Alex Andrawes also shares interesting stories about the wine business that include:

• Marketplace scams of fine wine bottles
• Winemaking traditions
• What goes on behind scored magazine reviews

2. Investing In Liquid Assets: Uncorking Profits In Today’s Global Wine Market

Author(s): David Sokolin and Alexandra Bruce

Publication date: March 2011

Investing In Liquid Assets explores how the value of investment grade wine as an asset class is growing each year. Additionally, it covers the different rare bottle investment opportunities and how you can take advantage of them.  

In this handy guide, you’ll find out about:

• Investment-grade wine
• Essential wine regions and styles
• The key players in the wine world
• How to understand wine critics and how they score fine wine
• Reputable sources for investment-grade wine
• How to manage your wine storage
• Reselling your wine
• Predictions about which wine regions will have higher investment opportunities in the future

3. Cellaring Wine: Managing Your Wine Collection...to Perfection 

Author(s): Jeff Cox

Publication date: August 2012

In this detailed guide, Jeff Cox covers all you need to know about building a home wine cellar. This is a helpful read irrespective of whether you’re storing only a few exceptional bottles or an extensive portfolio. 

This book is ideal for both wine novices and serious oenophiles and includes:

• General rules on collecting wine
• Building a perfect DIY wine cellar
• Tips on aging wine
• How to maintain the right cellar temperature
• Information about vertical tastings

4. How and Why to Build a Wine Cellar

Author(s): Richard M. Gold, PhD

Publication date: January 2008 (Fourth Edition)

Richard M. Gold pulls from his own fascinating experiences to give you this informative book on building a wine cellar, whether you’re doing a home DIY or contracting a professional.

This wine book includes information and illustrations that any avid wine collector will appreciate. It includes:

• Construction specifications for refrigeration, insulation, storage racks, and more
• The ideal temperature and humidity levels for wine
• How to select, record, and track your wines to enjoy them at their prime

5. World Atlas of Wine

Author(s): Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson

Publication date: October 2019 (Eighth Edition)

Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson first published World Atlas of Wine in 1971. Every wine enthusiast and critic considers this book a classic. 

This authoritative book has illustrations and full-page photos for maximum effect and covers content around:

• Wine history
• Price appreciation
• Winemaking techniques
• New World and Old World wine regions
• Climates
• Grapes

6. Wine Simple: A Totally Approachable Guide From A World-Class Sommelier

Author(s): Aldo Sohm and Christine Muhlke

Publication date: November 2019

Here is a book by the renowned sommelier and wine expert Aldo Sohm, which targets the new generation of wine drinkers. While his approach to wine is more casual, it’s a great visual guide to help readers collect and drink boldly. 

Here are some areas the book covers:

• Fundamentals of wine
• Key grape varietals
• Wine regions
• Wine tasting tips
• How to build a flavor library
• When to splurge and when to save on wines
• A guide to exceptional collector vintages
• How to saber a Champagne bottle

7. Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine 2022: The No 1 Best-Selling Wine Guide

Author(s): Hugh Johnson and Margaret Rand

Publication date: September 2021

Irrespective of where you buy wine (restaurants, shops, online, or from wine investment platforms), this handy book makes a superb reference guide.

The Wall Street Journal even applauds it for its incredibly accurate and detailed examination of the wine world. 

It’s a must-have for any wine lover or professional!

Here’s a glimpse of what this wine book offers:

• Clear information on wines, wine regions, grapes, and growers worldwide 
• The most exceptional bottles to buy, drink, and cellar
• Which wine growers to keep an eye on and why
• How to pair food and wine

8. Wine Folly: Magnum Edition: The Master Guide

Author(s): Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack

Publication date: October 2018

The creators of Wine Folly take you through everything about wine. This is an ideal read that will help you elevate your existing wine knowledge.

The book covers:

• Over 100 grapes and wines, color-coded by style
• Detailed maps of wine regions (including top producers and promising new ones)
• Wine classifications (for countries like France, Spain, Italy, Austria, and Germany)
• A guide on tannins and acidity
• Food and wine pairing tips

9. The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia

Author(s): Tom Steveson

Publication date: November 2020 (Sixth Edition)

This 800-page encyclopedia, often compared to The Oxford Companion to Wine, has been the go-to reference book for oenophiles and the text for the Master Sommelier exam. It includes comprehensive sections on wine history, geography, culture, and flavors of vintages. 

It also includes:

• Beautifully designed illustrations
• 400 images
• 100 new National Geographic maps
• Regions and climates that produce excellent vintages
• Flavor notes and taste chart 
• Unusual wines
• Vineyard profiles
• Tasting room guides
• Grape varietal information
• Troubleshooting wine faults
• Upcoming producers
• Food pairings for any wine bottle
• Timelines of the chronology of wine
• Sommelier tips 

10. Keys To The Cellar: Strategies And Secrets Of Wine Collecting

Author(s): Peter D Meltzer

Publication date: September 2006

Peter is a wine writer and a restaurant and wine list critic. He was also a Wine Spectator auction correspondent for over 20 years. So you can rest assured this book will be a valuable source of information as you begin your wine investment journey.

This easy-to-read book covers practical tips for curating your collection according to your taste, budget, and lifestyle. 

The book also includes:

• Buying and selling wine bottles at auctions
• Bidding at online wine auctions 
• Determining the value of your wine bottle
• Locating hard-to-acquire bottles
• Storing (and drinking) both table and investment grade wine
• Wine Spectator auction index to help research the right price for over 500 auctioned fine wines

11. Wine Investment for Portfolio Diversification: How Collecting Fine Wines Can Yield Greater Returns Than Stocks and Bonds

Author(s): Mahesh Kumar and Michael Broadbent

Publication date: July 2005

This book on personal finance, by Mahesh Kumar, shows you how to protect yourself from stock market risk by turning to fine wine investment. He notes that the intelligent investor must observe major economic shifts early on and make long-term investments accordingly. 

The book includes interesting information and analysis on:

• Why investing in fine wine is one of the best ways to diversify your portfolio
• How alternative investments will compensate you as an investor
• History of wine markets from as far back as the 12th century
• Different approaches to marketing and distribution in Bordeaux
• The relationship between price and quality of alternative investments

12. The Complete Bordeaux

Author(s): Stephen Brook

Publication date: May 2017

This book by award-winning writer Stephen Brook is an in-depth analysis of one of the most respected wine regions in the world — Bordeaux. 

This book includes: 

• Insider information about how Left and Right Bank Bordeaux wines are produced
• Information, maps, and photos of famous Bordeaux chateaux and communes, smaller growers, and newcomers 

13. Adventures on the Wine Route: A Wine Buyer's Tour of France

Author(s): Kermit Lynch

Publication date: June 2019 (25th Anniversary Edition)

This book by wine writer Kermit Lynch is a delightful read for the quintessential wine lover. It’s garnered positive reviews and acclaim — The Wall Street Journal even touted it as the best book about the wine industry. 

Here’s a look at what you can discover in the book:

• Portraits of French winemakers and growers
• Stories about the French wine country
• French wine descriptions

14. The Wine Bible

Author(s): Karen MacNeil

Publication date: October 2015 (The new edition launches November 2022)

The Wine Bible is a best-seller (with over 800,000 printed copies) that teaches you all the must-know wine fundamentals and definitions, anecdotes, maps and more.

Narrated in Karen MacNeil’s entertaining, unique style of writing, the book also includes:

• Vineyards, grape varietals, and terroir information
• Wine regions
• Winemaking techniques that impact a wine’s flavor profile
• What makes a great wine
• Best bottles to get your hands on
• How to taste wine like a pro and build a flavor library
• Information on wine styles, including Champagne and sherry
• Details about buying, storing, serving, and drinking wine
• Wine in the ancient world (coming up in the newest edition)

15. Oz Clarke on Wine: Your Global Wine Companion

Author(s): Oz Clarke

Publication date: September 2021

Oz Clarke becomes your fun, personal wine guide in this book as he shares how his interest in flavor led him on an adventure to discover new taste experiences. 

The book is witty and fast-paced and dives into:

• Grape varieties
• Wine styles - current and upcoming
• Vineyards and wine regions
• Winemaking, including organic and biodynamic 
• How Oz fell in love with wine and quit acting to pursue a different passion
• How global warming affects wine
• The best investment and ageable wines in the world 
• The best wines to enjoy now

Now you’re armed with a dynamic collection of books to win in wine investing. 

But, we’re going to make the process a little easier for you with some handy wine investing tips so you can get started right away.

How You Can Start Investing In Wine Right Away

Let's find out some of the avenues you should explore while starting out your wine investment journey:

Buying and Selling Wine

You can start buying and selling wine in a few ways:

• Wine Investment Companies: Wine investment companies like Vinovest will help you buy, store, and sell fine wine. 

Vinovest, in particular, uses AI technology and master sommeliers to help you curate a wine portfolio according to your budget and taste preferences. 

Your fine wines will be stored in state-of-the-art bonded warehouses close to some of the best wine regions in the world. 

Signing up for a service like Vinovest would be the best way to begin your wine investment journey.

• Auctions: Auction houses are a great place to buy and sell fine wine. When bidding and buying from auction houses, remember to add the buyer’s premium (15-22%) to the amount. When selling fine wine, a 10% seller’s fee commission is often added on.

The drawback is that the whole process can take up a lot of time, it may take many weeks before you get your wine bottle, and you’ll have to store the wine bottles yourself.

• Merchant or Broker: You can buy wine directly from reputed merchants or brokers.  

Some of them also offer services like portfolio management. But remember, although they know a lot about wine, they’re not qualified financial advisors.

You can also sell your wine through a merchant or broker for a 10% commission fee.  

• Wine Investment Funds: Reputable wine investment funds are typically run by investment professionals who are educated in fine wine and finance.

So, as an investor, you may be comfortable letting these professional fund managers handle your fine wine investment portfolio. However, do your due diligence before investing your money because valuing your portfolio of wines held by the fund will get complicated.

• Online: Websites and online trading platforms like bidforwine.com and bordeauxindex.com are some other places for a wine investor to buy and sell fine wine. 

Valuation of Your Wines

Here’s how you can value the fine wines you own:

• Track the value of your wines (real-time) on Vinovest: If you build a wine portfolio via Vinovest, you can be sure that it’s the only platform that aggregates data from all the wine valuation tools. This would be the most accurate data for wine valuation.
• Ask A Merchant: A wine merchant can help you put a value on your fine wine bottles. 
• Get An Online Subscription Service: An online subscription-based product like Cellar Watch by liv-ex.com or a valuation service by Fine & Rare Wines helps investors determine the value of a wine bottle by using the most updated prices. 

Start Your Exciting Wine Investment Journey Today!

Investing in fine wine doesn’t have to be a big risk or a daunting task. It’s a great way to diversify your asset portfolio and enjoy incredible fine wine bottles. 

This selection of wine investment books and illuminating strategies on how to go about investing will help you get the ball rolling. 

Meanwhile, if you’d prefer to take the stress out of doing the hard work yourself, a wine investment platform, like Vinovest, is the most reliable and easiest way to grow your wine portfolio.