The introduction of a Wine Investment Zone to this year's Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair reflects growing interest on the part of collectors in treating wine not just as a source of pleasure but as a financial asset.
The Wine Auction and Investment Forum at the fair's public day on Saturday is expected to be packed.
Some big names have booked space in the zone, among them specialist wine auction house Acker Merrall & Condit (AMC), which holds six auctions a year in Hong Kong and regularly breaks world records for auction results achieved for high-value wines.
The auctions, originally dominated by investment-grade Bordeaux vintages, have recently featured more Burgundy.
AMC's 17th Hong Kong auction, to be held at the Island Shangri-La and Grand Hyatt hotels, is being held tomorrow and Saturday to coincide with the fair.
In AMC's September auction, a rare full case of 1990 DRC Roman?e-Conti fetched a world record price of HK$2.31 million.
Fair exhibitors keen to offer their services to existing and aspiring investors in fine wines include Wing Lung Bank, which has introduced a wine-financing service. It can arrange for investors to borrow up to HK$5 million or 50 per cent of the purchase price, whichever is the lesser.