Investing in wine and whisky is popular with high net worth, but the barriers to entry are falling as more people seek tangible investments.
Over the last 15 years, wine has offered an average return of 13.6% which makes it one of the most interesting and secure alternative investments available. Of course, you still need to pick wisely with wines from Bordeaux, Burgoyne, California, Italy and Australia performing best.
Whisky is an interesting investment and passion for may high net worth. Delving into the different whiskies and learning the ropes is in itself very pleasurable. Invest in what you know and enjoy and you can't go too far wrong. Plus you won’t be short of friends to drink it with should the market fall. Though alcohol always sells well, particularly if you can afford to wait out any drop in prices.
A rare vintage bottle of Macallan sold for more than £1 million at auction in recent years. The potential if you pick the right brand is quite thrilling.
There are getaways and there are hideaways. And it was on Arran, an isle separated by the Firth of Clyde that I had chosen to come, to avoid the hassle of Covid, the endless paperwork and all those wretched travel passes.
So I took the ferry from Ardrossan to Arran’s Brodick Bay and then drove beyond a heathered wind-swept mountain graced with roaming deer.
Have you ever wanted to properly test one McLaren against another? We thought it might be fun to pit the new McLaren GT against the McLaren 720S Coupe. So we schlepped up to Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedford to give it a go.
Millbrook is an iconic test track for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers with an unparalleled series of on-road and off-road circuits designed to test cars in all possible real-world road conditions.
The new Fujifilm GFX100S is based on the original medium format GFX100, but in a smaller body, smaller price with image stabilisation and the same terrific lenses.
It is, without doubt, the best stills camera you can buy today, the sensor, lenses and image processing plus the numerous Fujifilm film styles deliver unparalleled quality. In good light, it rivals the best medium format film cameras of yore and in poor or low light it is infinitely superior.
During our Maserati Levante Trofeo tour to visit the Great North Air Ambulance Service helicopter rescue we stayed at the lovely Derwent Manor Boutique Hotel between Newcastle and Durham at the edge of the North Pennines in North Yorkshire.
Originally built as a country residence for the three-time Lord Mayor of Manchester, Alderman John Grave. Derwent offers 56 elegant double bedrooms including five suites with stunning views over the countryside and four boutique cottages
To get to know a car well you should take it on an adventure. So we drove the Maserati Levante Trofeo up to visit the Great North Air Ambulance Service helicopter rescue for a two-day extravaganza of training, tactical emergency simulation and marauding terrorist attack.
Great North Air Ambulance Service save lives.
In two words, Critical Care. When minutes count and a life is on the line. A paramedic needs to get to the scene fast and be trained to an exceptional level to preserve life until the patient gets to a hospital.
We rendezvoused at Northumbria Police Operational and Tactical Training Centre. This is a state of the art firing range used by many police forces and the military. We were being trained in ballistics. Or to put it another way, the damage different types of bullets do to a human body.
The day exercise was stressful enough and finished as the evening light faded. The next phase was far more challenging. The trainees took a break while a new set-up was arranged.
As darkness fell a car club consisting of twenty souped-up bangers arrived. They were there to provide a little extra distraction. The cars were parked in a row next to the scene. Boots were opened and large speaker systems cranked into life. The car club had volunteered to be a rowdy group of party-goers that heckles the paramedics and videos them on their smartphones.
