Welcome to Fine Wine Spy. With decades of experience,
we offer three white-glove services:
1 — Wine Valuation
We specialize in inventory and valuation of wines and spirits for insurance, legal, and tax purposes. All appraisals are USPAP compliant.
We specialize in inventory and valuation of wines and spirits for insurance, legal, and tax purposes. All appraisals are USPAP compliant.
3 — Authentication
We conduct fraud and counterfeit detection which includes the examination of each bottle. We look for consistency compared to known authentic examples, as well as known counterfeit examples.
We conduct fraud and counterfeit detection which includes the examination of each bottle. We look for consistency compared to known authentic examples, as well as known counterfeit examples.
1 — Wine Valuation
We specialize in inventory and valuation of wines and spirits for insurance, legal, and tax purposes. All appraisals are USPAP compliant.
As a member of the Appraisers Association of America, we prepare USPAP compliant appraisal reports for:
- Insurance policies, loss claims and adjustments
- Marriage dissolution and asset distribution
- Trusts, wills, probate, and estate probate and sales
- Loan collateral, foreclosure, or bankruptcy
- Non-cash charitable donation
Our services include onsite examination and reliable current market research to support our valuation conclusion.
We can determine damage and loss of value to your collection from issues arising from temperature fluctuations, flooding and bottle fraud. Results of our conclusion will be delivered to you in a formal report.
We work with insurance adjusters, attorneys, wine brokers, auction houses, and other professionals to address your appraisal needs.
We can provide expert testimony to support our conclusions, if necessary.
USPAP is The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice which requires appraisers to be aware of, understand, and correctly use recognized methods and techniques to produce a credible appraisal.
2 — Cellar Management
We inventory and catalog each bottle in your collection and organize according to your preference.
Entry into a cellar tracking system with barcoding, if asked*
Management of purchase and sales receipts.
Periodic update to your cellar and inventory as requested.
We advise on purchase and sale of wine through trusted sources to help you achieve your curated cellar.
*We use Cellar Tracker unless you prefer an alternative system. If you have wines stored at multiple locations, they will be cataloged with their location noted.
3 — Wine Authentication
We conduct fraud and counterfeit detection which includes the examination of each bottle. We look for consistency compared to known authentic examples, as well as known counterfeit examples.
Based on your needs, we will provide the following types of reports:
Verbal Report
These reports are ideal for prepurchase authentication.
Formal Report
These reports require a full inspection of each bottle.
A formal report is provided for bottles that are considered inauthentic. This report includes evidence of the reporter’s findings along with the conclusion of authenticity.
At the request of the client, authentic bottles can be entered into a blockchain system that stores each bottle’s details and provenance.
Wine Fraud
Wine fraud is a fundamental problem in the wine world. Wine producers spend tremendous resources to build a brand and relationship with the consumer. Counterfeit wine infringes on the intellectual property rights of the brand and causes risk to their reputation and consumer trust.
Counterfeit wines can be defined as imitations or adulterations of legitimate products which include bottle refilling and falsification of a producer’s packaging. This fraud not only causes reputational risk, but possibly liability to the producer
Counterfeit wine does not follow food and beverage regulations and could contain toxic and harmful ingredients. Hazardous ingredients as well as unsanitary production methods could expose consumers to serious health risks.
Price — If the price is too good to be true, beware.
Packaging — If the capsule, label, cork and fill do not match, beware.
Provenance — If the wine’s history has a tall tale, beware.
Build Your Collection With Confidence
Ask Questions
If you are buying wine outside of your trusted source, do some research on the reputation of the seller. Online sellers may not post clear pictures of the bottle. Contact them and ask for better images and provenance.
House Rules
If you are buying from an auction house or reseller, do read the fine print about their terms and conditions such as guarantee of authenticity or return/refund policy.
Records
Your purchase receipts are valuable and provide provenance of your collection.
If you are buying wine outside of your trusted source, do some research on the reputation of the seller. Online sellers may not post clear pictures of the bottle. Contact them and ask for better images and provenance.
House Rules
If you are buying from an auction house or reseller, do read the fine print about their terms and conditions such as guarantee of authenticity or return/refund policy.
Records
Your purchase receipts are valuable and provide provenance of your collection.
Passion Aside
Most collectors say that they have an emotional connection to their wine, so it is not surprising that the investment world refers to wine as a “passion asset”. Accumulating it should be approached rationally and with caution. Counterfeit or bottles in poor condition can at once reduce the value of one’s portfolio.
Burden of Proof
Today there is so much wine that is traded on the gray or secondary markets through auction houses and resellers. These are great sources to find those rare and sought after bottles. Often, the burden of determining a wine’s condition and authenticity is on the purchaser.
Most collectors say that they have an emotional connection to their wine, so it is not surprising that the investment world refers to wine as a “passion asset”. Accumulating it should be approached rationally and with caution. Counterfeit or bottles in poor condition can at once reduce the value of one’s portfolio.
Burden of Proof
Today there is so much wine that is traded on the gray or secondary markets through auction houses and resellers. These are great sources to find those rare and sought after bottles. Often, the burden of determining a wine’s condition and authenticity is on the purchaser.
Poor Storage
Don’t pay for bad storage. Storage condition can often be determined from a physical examination of the bottle. An expert can help you determine whether the bottle exhibits signs of poor storage.
Counterfeit Wine
Before investing in that bottle you have been coveting, take some time to ask questions about the seller’s history and the wine’s provenance. Does the seller have a story to tell? Does the bottle have a story to tell? A physical inspection by an experienced authenticator can help you interpret that story.
Don’t pay for bad storage. Storage condition can often be determined from a physical examination of the bottle. An expert can help you determine whether the bottle exhibits signs of poor storage.
Counterfeit Wine
Before investing in that bottle you have been coveting, take some time to ask questions about the seller’s history and the wine’s provenance. Does the seller have a story to tell? Does the bottle have a story to tell? A physical inspection by an experienced authenticator can help you interpret that story.
914.589.8582