Vinovest Review 2026: Invest in Wine and Whiskey
- Stock trade fee
- N/A
- Minimum deposit
- $1,000
Our verdict
Diversify your portfolio with Vinovest's investment-grade wine and whiskey offerings.
Consider Vinovest if you want a professionally-managed portfolio of investment-grade wine or whiskey or want to trade wine on a secondary market. Look elsewhere if you want to purchase shares in collections of wine and whiskey instead of owning the bottles outright.
Best for: Any investor looking to diversify with wine or whiskey investments.
Pros
-
Open to all investors, accredited or not
-
Direct ownership of every bottle, fully insured
-
Choose between managed portfolios or self-directed trading
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Bonded warehouse storage eliminates VAT and excise taxes
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Sell or take physical delivery at any time
Cons
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High fees starting at 2.85% annually for managed accounts
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$5,000 minimum for managed portfolios
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Wine and whiskey only — no stocks, bonds or other assets
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Customer support through online ticket only, with up to a 48-hour response time
Who should choose Vinovest?
Vinovest is a great fit for investors looking to diversify beyond traditional stocks and bonds with tangible, alternative assets. Typical users include:
Diversification seekers
Want exposure to an asset class uncorrelated with the stock market to balance their portfolio.
Hands-off investors
Prefer a professionally managed portfolio with sourcing, storage and insurance all handled for them.
Wine and whiskey enthusiasts
Want to turn a passion into a portfolio, with expert curation and direct bottle ownership.
High-net-worth investors
Qualify for Premium or Grand Cru tiers and want access to rare, auction-only bottles and personalized portfolio insights.
Latest Vinovest updates
March 24, 2026: Vinovest was acquired by StartEngine, a leading private investing platform with more than 2.1 million users. Vinovest continues to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary under its existing brand.(1)
What we like about Vinovest
Vinovest has helped make the once-exclusive world of fine wine and whiskey investing accessible to a wider group of investors. With a straightforward signup process you can complete in minutes and investments available to accredited and non-accredited investors alike, it’s one of the more approachable platforms in the alternative investing space.
Here’s what else we like.
Direct bottle ownership with full insurance
When you invest with Vinovest, you own 100% of your wine and whiskey outright — not shares in a fund or fractional interests. Every bottle is fully insured and stored on your behalf in bonded warehouses across France, Denmark, Singapore, Hong Kong, the UK and the US. Bonded storage eliminates value-added taxes (VAT) and excise duty taxes, which only apply if you choose to take physical delivery of your bottles.
Choose how hands-on you want to be
Vinovest gives you two ways to invest. Its managed account builds and maintains a curated portfolio of wine or whiskey on your behalf, with Vinovest handling all sourcing, authentication and rebalancing. Its trading account lets you buy and sell individual bottles like stocks, with each listing accompanied by a performance chart, investment rationale and critics’ score. You can open both account types simultaneously.
Sell anytime, or take delivery
Unlike some illiquid alternatives, Vinovest lets you sell your holdings whenever you choose. You can also request physical delivery of your bottles at any time — though VAT and excise duty taxes will apply at that point.
Where Vinovest falls short
Here’s where we think Vinovest could improve:
High fees relative to traditional investing
Vinovest’s managed account fees start at 2.85% annually — significantly higher than the sub-0.5% expense ratios common with index fund investing. Trading account users also face a 2.5% buy-side fee, a 1% sell-side fee and a 1.5% annual storage fee. These costs can meaningfully reduce net returns over time.
$5,000 minimum keeps out smaller investors
The managed portfolio minimum has increased from $1,000 to $5,000, which may put Vinovest out of reach for newer or smaller investors who want a professionally managed wine portfolio.
Limited asset variety
Vinovest’s universe is wine and whiskey only. Unlike competitors or broader alternative investment platforms, it doesn’t offer equity shares, fractional offerings or other asset classes. If you’re looking for broader alternative exposure, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Vinovest’s fees
Vinovest charges an annual management fee based on your portfolio tier. All managed accounts include full insurance and enrollment in Vinovest’s carbon offset program.
| Account level | Minimum | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5,000 | 2.85% |
| Plus | $10,000 | 2.70% |
| Premium | $50,000 | 2.50% |
| Grand Cru | $250,000 | 2.25% |
| Trading account | None | 2.5% buy fee · 1% sell fee · 1.5%/yr storage |
Is Vinovest legit?
Yes, Vinovest is a legitimate company. Founded in 2019, Vinovest is headquartered in Culver City, California and has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) since 2020. In March 2026, Vinovest was acquired by StartEngine, a leading private investing platform, and continues to operate under its existing brand.(1) Vinovest has more than 200,000 registered users with over $140 million in assets under management.(1)
Vinovest uses OKTA, an American identity management service, as a third-party security partner to monitor and secure its platform.
Vinovest’s platform
Vinovest acts as both a portfolio manager and an exchange. In either case, you own 100% of your wine and whiskey. Signing up takes only minutes and you can start trading immediately upon funding your account. The platform is uncluttered and easy to navigate, with a clean, elegant design that’s user-friendly for first-time alternative investors.
Vinovest’s customer reviews
| BBB accredited | No |
|---|---|
| BBB customer reviews | 1.81 out of 5 stars, based on 16 customer reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 1.8 out of 5 stars, based on 276 customer reviews |
| Apple App Store Score | 4.6 out of 5 stars, based on 792 customer reviews |
| Google Play Score | 4 out of 5 stars, based on 121 customer reviews |
| Customer reviews verified as of | 26 May 2026 |
Compare Vinovest to other alternative investing platforms
Compare similar platforms by available assets, fees and minimum deposit requirements. Select Go to site to sign up for an account.
Available asset types
Cryptocurrency, Real estate, Precious metals, Investment funds, Private equity, Tax liens/deeds
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
N/A
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Matt Finder
Investments editor and market analyst
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