Guides

A guide to South African wine

The Octavian blog has become one of the UK’s favourite destinations for those looking to learn about wine, especially over the last year or so. As well as having some of the finest facilities in the country when it comes to wine storage and cellarage, our team of specialists have enjoyed…

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6 English Vineyards You Must Visit

If you speak to someone who has had a recent trip to a vineyard, you probably conjure images of an idyllic French chateau or perhaps sojourn to Tuscany, and rightly so. However, the last few decades has seen good old Blighty build up a fantastic reputation for our wines and also the…

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When and Why to Decant Wine

Decanting wine seems to have become trendy again. Whether you are in a fancy new restaurant or the latest hipster hangout, decanters certainly seem to be on the rise despite many establishments not knowing how and when they should be used. As regular readers of the Octavian blog will tell you, our…

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5 tips for building your wine portfolio

If you have made the exciting decision to monetise your wine collection by building a complete portfolio, the latest blog here at Octavian will definitely be of interest. We have covered certain aspects of wine investment in the past and these articles have always been well received, but in today’s feature we look to…

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5 most romantic wines for Valentine’s day

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you may well be thinking of ways to impress your other half with some sumptuous fine wine. As purveyors of wine cellarage and storage, this is a subject that is quite close to our hearts and there are a few wines that we…

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Great British wine brands

British wine and in particular, English wine, has been absolutely booming in recent years. Although a way off our French and Italian cousins, there are new vineyards popping up all over Britain these days; in fact, HMRC applications are up more than 40% just in the last year. English red…

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Why wine is aged in oak

If you have drunk a fine wine of late, the chances are that is has been aged in an oak barrel. Not many are aware of this fact and believe that only certain types of wine are oak aged, but the fact of the matter is that this process is…

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Mulled wine or Glühwein – 5 Facts

With Christmas just around the corner, we’re sure your plans for Christmas are well and truly underway. Of course, Christmas is a time to celebrate with friends and family whilst enjoying delicious food and drink and what better way to celebrate this festive time than with a glass of traditional…

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Great Wines To Drink With Christmas Dinner

There is surely no day of the year more suitable for enjoying some of the finest wines money can buy, than Christmas Day. Given the time, money and effort you have put into preparing a delicious meal for your family and possibly friends; this demands to be complemented by a…

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Recipe for Mulled Wine – Getting Ready For the Festivity

Time for something a bit festive here at the Octavian news centre. If you have been visiting the site late you will have noticed that we have been covering everything a wine investor needs from market analysis to how to store your investments, but with December just around the corner…

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5 Wine Magazines You Need to Read

The fact that you have found your way to the Octavian website means that you are most probably on the hunt for some guidance regarding fine wines, wine investment, the best new wines or perhaps storing some stock you have recently acquired. Whilst you are undoubtedly in the right place,…

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What Are Biodynamic Wines and How Are They Used?

The Octavian blog was created to give both discerning fine wine experts and novices, all the information they need about the world of wine. If you have read some of our articles before, you will have found features about everything from PH levels and the aging process to investing and…

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Top Tips to Help You Become a Successful Wine Investor

Wine as an investment as sky rocketed in recent years, leading many to consider the world’s favourite drink as the perfect way to make substantial amounts of money. Like any investment, it has its benefits and of course its pitfalls but there are some wine investment tips that can help…

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How to Correctly Understand Wine Tasting Notes

You have recently made the foray into the world of fine wine, the chances are that you are starting to familiarise yourself with wine tasting and the detailed notes that often come as part and parcel of the process. It can be somewhat daunting for newbies and even established wine…

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8 Best Wine Producing Destinations

If you have been a regular reader here at Octavian, then you will no doubt have been keeping up to date with our recent guides on how best to condition your wine, the ageing process and of course the ideal cellarage options for various different types of fine wines from…

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Learn What Happens to Wine When it Ages

Not all wines are made to age. That may sound odd given the undisputed value of wine cellarage and optimal conditions, but the modern trends of making wine on mass to be opened immediately has meant that your average bottle of Blossom Hill or Jacob’s Creek is likely to lose…

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Why Are Wine PH Levels Important?

In the latest addition to our advice section here at Octavian, we take a look at wine PH levels and why they are so important. It doesn’t matter if you are new to the world of wine or have been collecting, drinking or investing in the world’s best Bordeaux for…

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5 Best Red Wines For Autumn

As disappointing as it may be, the Indian summer we had all hoped for looks like it has failed to materialise; leaving us all looking towards another long British autumn and winter. Fear not, however, as the latest Octavian feature looks to investigate the 5 best red wines for autumn.…

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How to Invest in Fine Wine

If you have recently started investing in fine wine, then the chances are that you have found it to be a bit of a minefield. Many people make the mistake of thinking that just being a fan of, or perhaps very knowledgeable about their favourite wines, makes them perfect for…

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Wine Parties & Tasting Tips

Many people make this mistake of thinking that, in order to experience fine wine tasting, they need to jet off to a luxurious location such as the south of France or Italy. However, as this latest guide from the Octavian blog will cover, this is actually far easier to do…

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6 Best Wines For Your Wedding

There can be little doubt about it, choosing the best wines for your wedding can make or break the catering aspect of your big day. If you are somewhat of a fine wine aficionado then this will not prove too difficult but for mere mortals, this can be one of…

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Luxury Vineyards You Need to Visit

If you have been a regular visitor here at the Octavian site of late, then you will no doubt have enjoyed our fine wine features and articles regarding everything from wine cellarage to the best wine prices and rates sites. In this blog post, we search for the best luxury…

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A Guide to Wine Storage Rules and Regulations

If you are new to the fine wine industry, or perhaps you are investing in wine for the first time, you may not be aware of the fairly stringent rules that surround it. These are important to check as wine storage has many regulations surrounding it. However, the team of…

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What You Should Be Looking For in a Wine Storage Company

As one of the UK’s top wine storage companies, the team here at Octavian have been bringing you all manner of advisory pieces and guides as we look to dispel some myths and bring you the lowdown of an industry that is becoming more and more popular. Investing in fine…

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The Differences Between Mass Produced and Boutique Wine

Welcome back to the Octavian blog. This week we address the differences between cheap, mass produced wine and high quality vintages. We ensure our wines are kept in optimal conditions, but what happens before they reach us? Indeed, the process of creating a fine wine and then waiting for it…

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A Guide to Buying Wine En Primeur

In June’s final instalment here at the Octavian blog, we take a look at a subject that is never far from the news – that of buying wine “en primeur”. Translated from French as “wine futures”, this is the process of buying fine wines whilst they are still ageing in…

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How to Properly Store or Lay Wine at Home

If you have been reading the Octavian blog recently, you will have seen that we have really upped our game in terms of bringing you all the latest news and resources you need regarding wine cellarage, investment and of course, bonded wines. Today, our team has seen fit to publish…

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What Qualifies as a Bonded Wine Warehouse?

Due to our passion for bonded wines and cellarage, you will often hear us talking about wine duty and storage here on the Octavian site, but many customers who are new to the scene may find all of this terminology somewhat confusing. As such, our wine experts have put this…

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Where To Buy and Value Wine Online

For anyone new to the industry, finding the best wines and the right investors is challenging. Although we can’t give you a magic formula, we can point you in the direction of some of the best online resources for making the most informed decision when buying wine online.

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What You Need to Know About Investing in Wine

Here at Octavian, we have looked after wines for more than 20 years and now store vintages from over 10,000 collectors investors and wine merchants. We know that successfully investing in fine wine requires preparation and knowledge to ensure that you get the most benefit from your investment. So, we…

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What Is Bonded Wine?

In this article, we look to shed some light on bonded wine, exactly what this means, and the benefits of investing.

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How to Avoid Wine Investment Scams

We have been covering all manner of topics here at Octavian this month, from the virtues of premier wine cellarage to finding the latest trading information. In this instalment we discuss how to spot and avoid wine investment scams. If you are conned by one of these wine brokers or…

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How to Start a Fine Wine Collection

The Telegraph’s wine correspondent Victoria Moore talks about her own experience of wine collecting before sharing tips from Octavian’s Ella Lister ahead of a seminar on the subject as part of London Wine Week …read more

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Storage: when your case ends up in court

Having merchants store wine for you is handy, but if they run into financial difficulty, you might wish you’d dealt directly with the warehouse. …download the pdf

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Safe Stashes: How to Select a Wine Storage Company

Bloomberg’s Elin McCoy outlines what to look for in a wine storage company, and puts Octavian forward as her only UK recommendation …read more

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The Value of Storage Provenance in Fine Wine Investment

Ella Lister, Fine Wine Strategy, Octavian, delivered this well received presentation at the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair in November 2011. Discover Our Wine Vintages Chart To download a copy of the presentation in pdf format, click here.

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Let’s get this party started with the help of the world’s finest wines

…read more

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