| Frequently asked questions: What
is meant by en-primeur?
This term refers to wine bought before it is bottled,
whilst still at the producer. Wines bought en-primeur or on first release can
represent a good way of buying high quality wine at an attractive price. The wine
is typically bottled and shipped between 6-24 months after purchase. Wine will
only be bought en-primeur where grape-juice
believes this offers good value. What is meant by in bond?
In
bond refers to wine being kept in bonded storage, whereby no VAT or duty is paid
until the wine is taken out of the bonded storage. This offers a cash flow advantage.
Currently wine sold in bond does not incur any VAT or duty for the seller. When
wine is withdrawn from bond VAT is paid on the original purchase price, and duty
is paid at the prevailing rate (currently £14 per case of 12 for still non-fortified
wine) Do I have a choice of the wines bought?
A key part of the
grape-juice offering is that grape-juice
makes all wine buying decisions on your behalf within certain parameters (approximately
£15-£30 per bottle in bond, 40% Bordeaux, 40% Burgundy and 20% Other).
This minimises the time and effort required by members in building a fine wine
collection, and makes fine wine accessible to those without any prior wine knowledge.
How is wine chosen?
Wine is selected on the basis of quality
and value for money such that it will provide excellent drinking with the potential
to increase in value. grape-juice also aims
to create a well balanced wine collection on behalf of members over the medium
term. Why allow grape-juice to buy wine
rather than cellar plans of established merchants?
A feature of the wine
market is that prices for the same wine often vary between merchants. grape-juice
has significant experience in this market and has contacts with a number of the
best value, established merchants. Being totally independent, grape-juice
can select the best wines and buy them at attractive prices, without any obligation
to buy certain wines to secure allocations of other wines. Members also enjoy
the benefit of any bulk discounts, with wine often being bought at below list
price. Who owns the wine bought by grape-juice?
Wine
is owned at all times by the individual member. Once shipped and in storage, each
individual case of wine is labelled with the name of the member to whom it belongs. Is
the wine predominantly for consumption or investment?
grape-juice
believes that wine is for drinking, however fine wine also has the potential to
increase in value as it matures. The decision of whether to sell or keep the wine
is entirely with the individual member. If the wine goes up in value, the member
can either sell the wine or drink it in the knowledge that it cost them less than
they would have to pay for it at the time of drinking. In any event the member
will have some high quality wine. When can I expect my wine to be ready
for drinking or sale?
This depends on the wine in question. White Burgundy
for example may be ready for drinking when it is 2-3 years old, whereas red Bordeaux
may be approaching maturity in 7-12 years. Members will be informed regularly
on the development of their wine. Why is there such a focus on French
wine?
grape-juice believes that carefully
selected French wines provide excellent value for money. In addition the market
for French wine is the most established and well developed. This combination of
quality and track record means that French wine is the most suitable for buying
on first release with the potential to increase in value. However grape-juice
will buy wines form other regions provided they meet the strict quality criteria.
Where is member wine stored?
Wine will be stored in leading UK storage
facilities to optimise its maturing potential. Cellars will provide a stable environment
in terms of temperature and humidity, offering protection from UV light and vibration.
This maximises the future value of the wine. Currently grape-juice
intends to use Octavian for its storage. Members benefit from bulk storage rates.
All wine is stored separately from grape-juice
limited wine. Members will receive regular statements of wine held. Where
is member money kept?
Member money is held in a separate client bank account,
and individual records are kept of all payments to and from each member. Members
will receive regular statements of their account. Am I restricted to
£120 per month?
Members can pay a minimum of £120 per month
or a multiple thereof. If for example you would like 2 cases of each wine bought,
you should contribute £240 per month. How will I know what wine
has been bought and what it is worth?
Members will be updated regularly
on wines bought and as the wine approaches maturity, indicative market values
(based on auction/list prices) will be provided. This information is also expected
to be available on the website www.grape-juice.com. Can you suggest
any ways of making the service cheaper?
The service offers very good value
for money, and is an excellent way to buy fine wine (an expensive but rewarding
world). One suggestion is for 2 or 3 friends to join together, as long as grape-juice
deals with just one nominated person and receives a single payment. | 
