Vinovest Review [2024] 

Americans consume a combined 4.3 billion bottles of wine each year.

A small portion of those bottles are “fine wine,” which has enough value to be a genuine financial asset. That means you can invest in it and diversify your portfolio in the process. 

Vinovest is a wine investment platform that makes it easy to invest in fine wine, even if you’re a beginner who doesn’t know a grape from a cashew. 

In this Vinovest review, I’ll describe how the platform works and why it could be worth using. 

What is Vinovest?

Vinovest is an alternative investment platform that focuses on wine and whiskey. Believe it or not, these investments generally outperform the S&P 500 – which is a popular stock index. 

What I’m saying here is that wine and whiskey investments can bring higher returns than standard stocks!

With Vinovest, you don’t have to be a wine and whiskey aficionado to get involved. They use a mix of data-driven algorithms and human expertise to identify fine wines and whiskies that are likely to appreciate in value. Then, they’ll buy bottles in your name and take care of insurance and storage for you.

Easy? You bet! That’s the whole idea. 

How Does Vinovest Work?

I want you to come away from this Vinovest review knowing exactly how to invest through the platform – so let’s dig into the details.

You can earn solid returns on Vinovest by following a simple 5-step process:

1. Create an account. Go to the official Vinovest website and click “Get Started” in the top-right corner.
2. Complete a questionnaire. You’ll tell Vinovest about your investing goals, so they’ll know how to construct your personalized portfolio.
3. Fund your account. There are four different investment tiers, and the minimum investment is $1,000.
4. Watch Vinovest build your portfolio. They’ll use their worldwide connections to buy the wines that match your investing goals. This step usually takes 2-3 weeks.
5. Enjoy the returns. This is the easiest step of all. Just sit back and watch the value of your portfolio (hopefully) increase.

With Vinovest, you’re not buying into a shared fund. You’re actually purchasing bottles of wine and casks of whiskey, and those tangible assets are 100% yours. 

Vinovest will store your purchases for you, but you can also request to have them sent to you. Once they’re in your possession, you could even choose to drink them – but that’s probably not the best way to recoup your investment!

Once your wine and whiskey matures, Vinovest will help you sell your assets to their global distribution network.

Vinovest Fees

Vinovest charges a storage and insurance fee that varies based on your tier. The current fee structure is as follows:

• Standard Tier: 2.85%
• Plus Tier: 2.7%
• Premier Tier: 2.5%
• Grand Cru Tier: 2.25%

The fee covers insurance, storage, authentication, and active management of your portfolio. Fees are prorated across the year and only charged on the invested capital in your account. 

The good news is that Vinovest is currently offering some super generous promos. 

Here are two discounts you should take advantage of:

1. The referral program. If you refer a friend to the platform, both you and the friend will get up to 4 months of fee-free investing.
2. Auto-invest discount. By turning on the auto-invest feature (which will make your life easier, anyway), you’ll get 5% off all management fees.

Is Vinovest Legit?

Vinovest is a legit company with headquarters in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 2019, and it has over 300,000 registered users. 

Want more proof that Vinovest is legit? Consider these facts:

• Vinovest is an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). 
• There are lots of positive Vinovest reviews on Trustpilot and other sites.
• The company has over 1.7 million bottles in custody, so they’re operating at a massive scale.
• In just a few years of existence, Vinovest has returned $27.5 million in capital to its users.

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Is Vinovest Safe?

Vinovest is definitely safe when it comes to data security. All the information you share with them is encrypted.

But let’s focus on wine and whiskey as an investment. Is buying this stuff actually safe and profitable?

Generally, yes! 

Over the past 30 years, fine wine has had an average annual return of 10.6%. That’s way better than what you’ll get with a standard savings account or certificate of deposit (CD). 

Of course, there’s risk involved with any investment, and fine wine is no exception. It’s always possible to have bad luck and see your portfolio lose value.

It’s also important to remember that investing in wine is a long-term venture. Vinovest suggests holding onto your wine for 5 – 10 years. If you try to get out sooner, you’re less likely to see significant returns. 

My recommendation is to use Vinovest alongside other investment strategies. For more ideas, check out this article on the best alternative investments. 

Pros and Cons of Vinovest

Investing through Vinovest is a big decision. Remember, the minimum investment is $1,000! Before signing up, consider all the pros and cons that this Vinovest review lays out for you below. 

Pros:

• You can buy and sell bottles whenever you want. If you wish to sell prematurely, you can list your wines for sale on Vinovest’s open marketplace. There is no lock-up period for your Vinovest account. Vinovest does assess a 1.5% listing fee if your wines are sold before the ideal selling window. 
• Vinovest will create a personalized wine portfolio. You don’t have to become a wine expert. Just tell Vinovest your goals, and they’ll take it from there.
• Fine wine has been a lucrative investment. In the past 30 years, the average annual return for fine wine has been 10.6%. If that trend continues, you could make a pretty penny.  

Cons:

• There’s a minimum investment of $1,000. That’s not crazy-high, but it means you have to make a serious commitment to your wine and whiskey investments.
• You’re meant to hold the investments for 5 – 10 years. You can get out sooner, but it will likely significantly lower your returns. 
• Vinovest charges storage and insurance fees. This isn’t a chance to earn “free money,” although opportunities like that do really exist. Learn more with this free money guide. 

Vinovest Reviews 

You can learn more about Vinovest’s user experience by looking at what real customers say online. 

In a 5-star Vinovest review, someone said their time with the platform had been a “great experience all around.” 

Another user made an excellent point in a 5-star Vinovest review: The platform lets them invest in an asset class that they “normally wouldn’t have access to.” 

In a 4-star Vinovest review, someone called the platform “awesome” but also offered some constructive feedback. They said the search feature for wine products could be improved so that users can filter by factors like grape, vintage, and region. 

In a rare 1-star Vinovest review, a user blasted the company for having “the worst customer support.” It seems this person wanted to sell their wine before the suggested 5-year holding period was over, and they had a hard time accessing the leftover cash in their account.

Vinovest Reviews Reddit

I found a thread on the Vinovest Subreddit where someone asked if anyone’s account was showing a profit. The person was worried because their wine investments were losing money.  

A few people responded by saying their own accounts were doing alright. 

One user said their managed Vinovest account was showing a profit, but it “took some time to get there.”

Another person said it’s normal to have “dead periods” when Vinovest doesn’t buy or sell bottles while it waits for the value of existing assets to appreciate.

Some folks in the thread were just as concerned about Vinovest as the original poster. For example, one person said that Vinovest gave them “unrealistic expectations” when they first signed up.

Vinovest Reviews BBB 

Vinovest is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), but it doesn’t have a rating. 

Seems strange, right? Don’t worry – there’s nothing sketchy about it. If the BBB doesn’t leave a rating for a business, it’s because they simply don’t have enough information or they’re reviewing the business’s profile.

There are also 18 customer reviews for Vinovest on the BBB website – and honestly, they’re pretty grim. One person left a 2-star Vinovest review, while half of the other reviewers gave the company just a single star.

Still, I wouldn’t worry too much. The BBB is often a magnet for disgruntled customers, and Vinovest gets plenty of positive reviews on other sites.  

Is Vinovest Worth It?

Vinovest is worth it, especially for anyone willing to hold onto their wine and whiskey investments for 5 – 10 years.

When I see a negative Vinovest review, it’s often from someone freaking out that their bottles are losing value. Usually, these people are just a few months or years into the investment. That’s not long enough to reap the benefits of an investment in wine or whiskey.

The reason wine and whiskey appreciate in value is because enthusiasts enjoy the effects of aging. So, of course, you’ll have to wait a while for the investment to turn a profit!

Remember this statistic: Over the past 3 decades, fine wine has given investors an average annual return of 10.6%. 

Sure, Vinovest charges some fees, but in exchange for those fees, you’ll get access to Viinovest’s expertise. They’ll also handle the logistics related to storage and insurance. It sounds like a good deal to me!

Should you invest all your savings into Vinovest today? No, absolutely not! The idea as an investor is almost always to create a diversified portfolio. So, Vinovest could be an integral part of a common-sense investment strategy. 

For more investing tips, check out this article on the best way to invest money.

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Commonly Asked Questions About Vinovest

Vinovest Competitors / Alternatives to Vinovest / Similar to Vinovest?

If you’re looking to invest in wine, real estate, and other alternative investments, consider these platforms that are similar to Vinovest:

• Vint (check out our Vint vs Vinovest comparison)
• Augusta Precious Metals (check out this Goldco vs Augusta Precious Metals comparison)
• Goldco (read this full Goldco review to learn more)
• Fundrise (read this Fundrise review to learn more)
• Yieldstreet (read this comparison of Fundrise vs. Yieldstreet to learn more)
• CrowdStreet (read this comparison of Fundrise vs. Crowdstreet to learn more)
• Groundfloor (read this Groundfloor review to learn more)
• Arrived (read this comparison of Fundrise vs. Arrived Homes to learn more)

If you’re interested in learning how AI could help you manage your portfolio, check out our Streetbeat review.

Also, be sure to check out these secret websites to make money online.

And if you’re looking to boost your bank balance fast, check out these banks with immediate sign-up bonus.

What is The Catch With Vinovest?

The only “catch” with Vinovest is that the recommended hold period for investments is 5 to 10 years. When you buy wine on the platform, you’ll have to keep it for a while if you want to maximize your returns. You’re allowed to sell sooner, but it could lower the return value. 

Is Vinovest a Scam? 

Vinovest isn’t a scam. It’s a legitimate company with headquarters in Los Angeles and over 300,000 registered users. It’s also an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

How Reliable is Vinovest?

Vinovest is a legitimate platform that makes it easier to invest in wine and whiskey. There’s no guarantee that your investment will make money, but over the past 30 years, fine wine has brought an average annual return of 10.6% – so your odds are pretty good. 

Can You Make Money with Vinovest?

You can absolutely make money with Vinovest. The platform helps you invest in fine wine, which has brought investors an average annual return of 10.6% over the past 30 years. And since its founding, Vinovest has returned $27.5 million in capital.  

What is The Average Return on Vinovest?

Vinovest doesn’t report average returns. Since each user gets a personalized portfolio based on their goals, returns can vary widely. That said, Vinovest recently reported some whiskey investments that earned 30.31% in less than a year.  

Vinovest Minimum Investment?

Vinovest’s minimum investment is $1,000. This will place you in the “Starter Tier” investment plan.