Liquid Asset: Introducing Your Portfolio to Investment Grade Wines

BARTERHOUSE ANNOUNCES PLANS TO EXPAND WINE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES - RECEIVES OVATION FROM ELITE NYC GROUP

On Thursday May 9, The Barterhouse, Inc., one of the nation’s leading boutique wine brokerages, hosted more than 40 luminaries from the worlds of finance, entertainment, journalism, law and politics at a gala event entitled, “Liquid Assets: Introducing Your Portfolio to Investment Grade Wine.” The gathering took place in the historic Chrysler Room at New York City’s 42nd Street Capital Grille.

During a meet-and-greet session, guests had the opportunity to sample rare high-end wines served by renowned sommelier, Tom Gannon. Wilmington Trust Managing Director, Frazer Rice, who oversees $3 billion for over 40 individuals and institutions, opened the speaking session by introducing Barterhouse CEO, Brian DiMarco and discussing recent trends: “At a time when so many traditional assets like equities, bonds, metals and currency are experiencing massive volatility, clients are increasingly asking how to most intelligently add wine to a well-managed portfolio.”

After Mr. Rice’s remarks, Mr. DiMarco explained why Q2 2013 is the right time for his company to begin what he called “the democratization of wine.” Mr. DiMarco explained: “I founded Barterhouse to inject innovation into the wine business. By putting as much care into selecting the best $15 dollar bottle as the best $15,000 bottle, we learned to maximize value while avoiding the over-saturated middle market. The metrics and insight we gained along the way now allow Barterhouse to take the next step: providing true structural alpha for investors and enthusiasts alike.

Matthew Lux, Deputy General Counsel at the Permal Group, the world’s second largest fund-of-funds, followed Mr. DiMarco by explaining the ways in which “alternative wine funds” are one vehicle allowing investors to benefit from wine without the high costs of physical ownership: “Although I personally believe in a ‘buy and drink’ strategy,” Mr. Lux joked, “the emergence of more nuanced models has made wine a very credible alternative asset.” Mr. Rice concluded by addressing the recent Bill Koch “fake wine” scandal, emphasizing that investors absolutely require expert advice. Nodding in Mr. DiMarco’s direction, Mr. Rice then toasted Barterhouse’s future success and the assembled guests.

Press inquiries or on-the-record comments from attendees: please contact James Berger at Mclean/Clark LLC: (212) 742-0398 or james@mcleanclark.com. Opinions expressed by Mr. Lux and Mr. Rice are solely their own.


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