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WINE INDEX

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The Australian Wine Index is a story of passion for wine and business acuity. Founded by two avid lovers of fine wine, the business partners have over 30 years of experience in the financial markets and international marketing between them.

Witnessing the consumption of Australian wines increasing each year in the USA and the Asia Pacific region, the farsighted partners recognised a demand for fine wines in the emerging markets in Asia, especially in China, Hong Kong and Singapore. The Australian Wine Index was thus born as an answer to the needs of a new generation of wine drinkers and investors.

AWl quickly flourished into a dynamic team of consultants and brokers who were soon serving clients from all over the region, not just in China and Singapore but even in the UK and USA. Before long, AWl relocated its operations from

Australia to Singapore, where AWl has been growing from strength to strength with each passing year.

The recognition that each wine vintage is a commodity which cannot be replicated underpins the philosophy at AWL

As every cork is popped and as the appreciation for fine Australian wines increases, each wine will only grow more valuable. A tangible jewel as such represents a superb investment opportunity because its intrinsic value is not swayed along with the fluctuations in the global economy.

The consultants at AWl only consider wines that would suit the taste of their clients best, carefully choosing from amongst blue chip, cult and pre-cult wines.

Wines that are recommended by AWl have all received international reviews and ratings, providing an external endorsement to AWl's recommendations and attesting to its higher degree of integrity towards its wine selections.

Along with the upsurge in the consumption of Australian wines in the UK, USA and Asia, the wine investment market has also grown significantly over the last decades.

With their limited supply, burgeoning reputation and sheer quality, Australia's best wines have ascended onto the world stage. Indeed, where once Penfolds Grange was the only serious investment wine from the country, a remarkable list of Australian fine wines are now regularly traded for profit and pleasure.

Since 1992, Australian fine wines have increased in value by over 300% in just over a decade.

The Langton's Fine Wine Index (LFWI), which tracks the performances over time of a basket of 28 leading blue-chip Australian wines, has consistently revealed that the capital gains from fine wine investment throughout the 1990s far outstripped the returns on investment in other Australian shares. More importantly, it has been recognised, globally, that fine

Australian wine represents one of the best assets for smart money investors anywhere in the world.

At the landmark Langton's auction, for example, a bottle of 1951 Penfolds Grange achieved the record price of USD$30,355. A vertical collection of Grange (1951 to 1996) went under the hammer for USD$110,860, breaking the previous record of USD$102,500.

This movement to wine as an investment commodity reflects the belief of many, that Australia is well able to produce redoubtable wines that will measure up to those from other wine producing powerhouses in the world.

The Australian wine industry today is more diverse and interesting than ever before, comprising an astonishing array of beautifully made wines.

The challenge for the wine investor, thus, is to understand the market and where it is likely to go.

Dealing specifically in Australian wines, the Australian Wine Index is dedicated to sourcing the most sought after wines found in the land.

The dynamic team of consultants and brokers at AWl have forged strong ties with vineyards throughout the wine regions in Australia, and are able to procure rare and prized wines, some hitherto unavailable to all but a few select elites, for an international base of clients.

With its far-reaching networks in the wine industry, AWl has earned the peerless reputation for attaining wines from some of the latest and biggest names in Australia at very competitive prices.

AWl encompasses the gamut of services in fine wine collection, from hand-picking and attaining outstanding wines for collectors, to providing capital growth advice

for investors who desire a profit gain from their wine collection. AWl will also provide you with exit strategies for selling your wine collection, by utilising its extensive contacts throughout the world.

With its well-appointed offices located in the heart of Singapore at China Square Central, as well as representative offices in Hong Kong, Sydney and Shanghai, AWl holds the unique position of servicing clients based in every major city in the Asia Pacific region, be it China, Thailand or New Zealand, and even in North America and Europe.

Understanding that fine wine appreciation and speculation transcends geographical borders and cultural boundaries, AWl ensures its brokers are well-versed in the field and are imbued with the sensitivity and capability to offer their personalised expertise to clients throughout Asia, irrespective of language or culture.

With thousands of wine labels to choose from but no accredited quarterly earnings reports, analysts' estimates or real-time prices to ascertain true quality and value, one needs more than a class in wine tasting to sieve out the wines that have investment legs from those that don't.

To help hone your acumen, brokers at the Australian Wine Index provide the inroads into capital returns from Australian fine wine speculation by undertaking extensive research and analysis into wines that bear good ageing potential and tracking down collections of promising wines that are selling below their market value.

Buy or sell recommendations on wines are given to clients based on their

growing sales figures, the performance of their past vintages and international reviews and ratings given by influential wine experts, such as Robert Parker Jr. and James Halliday.

Once you have decided on the right mix of labels, the brokers will help buy and then store the wines in climate-controlled, secured and insured facilities. Constant updates on the performance of your collection together with advice on exit strategies are all part of the services that AWl provides.

Utilising its private customer database, network of dealers and other industry contacts, AWl will ensure you receive the best deal there is.

Furthermore, AWl has achieved ISO 9001:2008 certification, ensuring that we meet high standards of quality that are respected throughout the world.