TDN Weekend December 2016 Issue 9
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1045316
With the recommendation of seeking expert help, there are more parallels to the equestrian world. "Well, I guess the winemakers are the trainers," says Hammond. "They have to nurture and develop to get the most out of the investment, and try to spot poten- tial." Timing and maturity are as important in horse rac- ing as they are in wine too. "Absolutely," Hammond agrees. "You can't drink a wine when it's young… Well, you can, but you'd be wasting it, because it isn't ready. You'll only get the best out of it when it reaches its peak, but leave it too long and it'll be past its prime. We always tell our clients when we think their wines should be drunk or sold, or if we take a vintage and it's not tasting as well as it should be. There are lots of similarities with horses, I think." There is even potential in family ties, looking to one particular investment because of its links to another with good form in the past. "There is a French word we use a lot, terroir, which refers to the environmen- tal factors contributing to the wine, from the land to the weather, and the best wine is generally so because it uses the finest terroir plots, dating back thousands of years," Hammond explains. "There might be a great château with one terroir, and next to it another, which will attract attention because of its closeness – like a family line, in that respect, as it shares similar quali- ties." So is it better to invest in wine or horses, and which can yield the best returns? Maybe buying and selling one can be used to indulge in the other. Definitely food for thought – just remember, the thing about food is it always tastes better with wine. For more information, go to www.igwines.com