Are fine-wine collectors one and the same around the world?
Areni Global research suggests that fine wine collecting habits are almost identical across the globe – whether the oenologists hail from Shanghai, Paris or New York. But how true is this on the ground? Joyce Yip finds out.
As db reported, a February 2026 study by wine-dedicated research organisation Areni Global noted that the wine collection journey and habits for people under 40 years old are almost identical for respondents from London, Paris, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore.
But on-the-ground observations may suggest otherwise.
“Buyers”, according to the study, are defined as those who purchase for an occasion and desire the bottle quickly; the “collector”, on the other hand, acquires to fulfil a complex, ongoing need and enjoys the thrill of the pursuit. Per the study, “fine wine” is categorised as bottles priced at £50, €65, US$75, HK$550, SG$120 or RMB$880.
The research revealed that the respondents across all markets learn about fine wines through friends and social networks, rather than family, and subsequently become collectors shall they enjoy financial prowess, transparent channels of access and a like-minded community. This transition between buyer to collector usually happens between the ages of 26 and 40.
Complexity over opacity
While Pauline Vicard – co-founder and executive director at Areni Global – compares fine wine collectors’ pursuit for the next bottle to the thrill of winning a video game, she emphasises that only “complexity” is sought-after rather than “opacity”.
“The digital tools, platforms and apps have not only made the chase easier, but somehow more fun,” she tells the drinks business. “Modernisation of auction houses since the pandemic has helped a new generation of collectors enter the fine wine market, thanks to their tools that allow everyone to bet at any time,” she says.
Although the fine wine market’s allocation system will be here to stay due to the scarcity of sought-after bottles, Vicard adds that traditional merchants’ demand for huge minimum spends, long loyalty and purchase histories “are less and less accepted” amongst young buyers.
Gender, education, status
Vicard says the only differences between drinkers in the East and West are that the former engages in wine education earlier on, whereas those in London, New York and Paris often form their connections through social or familial relationships.
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She attributes this difference to wine’s niched access in the East, leaving education as the key channel to meet “people who share the same interest; whereas if you’re in London or New York, one of your bosses will like wine and will take you somewhere with wine involved.” In Singapore, for instance, the WSET programme is backed by the government’s SkillsFuture initiative – a nod to the region’s rapidly growing wine education industry – with tastings, masterclasses and wine bars flourishing across the island.
Secondly, Vicard sees more women buying expensive wines in Asia, likely because of financial independence and the drink’s comparatively later popularity in the region, after it was no longer seen as a men-exclusive status symbol.
“Wine has been a cultural and status object in the West for a very long time, in that only men had the financial independence and power to buy wine; but when it arrived in Asia, women reached equality in terms of wealth, and wine became a gender-neutral collectible,” she says.
Strength in numbers
Corinne Mui – Hong Kong-based wine educator, writer and judge for a number of wine shows around the world – partially agrees with Vicard’s findings. She challenges the study’s definition of HK$550 as fine wine, explaining that while that price point may deliver a “tasty selection”, she’s dubious about its ageing potential, which, ultimately, determines whether a bottle is worth collecting.
“Fine wines must have ageing potential: Hong Kong is so strapped for space, so I doubt anyone will sacrifice room for a HK$550 experiment without resale value,” she points out, adding that while some collectors prefer transparency on their chase, most crave the exclusivity, convoluted journey and status quo places like wine clubs offer.
“I get asked a lot about new club memberships: I can fairly say fine wine drinkers and collectors love being a part of a club the most,” she adds.
Regarding the higher population of women purchasing expensive wines, Mui wonders how much of the surveyed percentage are wives and girlfriends shopping for their partners. She also notes that outside of Hong Kong, most cities in Asia have a lower population of financially independent women compared to the West.
Titled ‘The New Fine Wine Consumer: How people under 40 find their way into fine wine’, Areni Global’s study was done in partnership with Berry Bros and Rudd, 67 Pall Mall, Vinophiles Society and The Young Members Circle of the International Wine and Food Society. Data was collected through qualitative interviews, focus groups and questionnaires from a total of 308 respondents and 209 current fine-wine buyers.
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