Smarkey
Stay Away, It's a Grift
They engage in false advertising on their yields, & the fees are BS. This operation hasn't scaled for a reason.

Vinovest is a modern wine and whiskey investing platform that helps customers source investment grade wines, provide professional storage and custody solutions, and manage ongoing buying/selling recommendations. We have cultivated direct relationships with the most sought-after wineries and distilleries in the world. We pride ourselves on being able to source the most collectible wines in the world at the best prices.
Vinovest (vinovest.co) has 280 customer reviews on Five Star Index, with an average rating of 3.2 out of 5.
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Claim this listingBeer & Wine · San Jose, California
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280 approved reviews, newest moderated first
Smarkey
They engage in false advertising on their yields, & the fees are BS. This operation hasn't scaled for a reason.
Noman
SCAM! I diversified a lot of my investments. Someone told me about Wine portfolios, hence why I too have a bunch of money tied up in wines. Anyway, I have the same issues. I'd say my entire portfolio is down about 39%. Trying to sell wines results in them never being sold, or you "supposedly" get bids for them that would result in you taking a significant loss. I tried cashing in my wines....aka, absorb the loss, have them ship the wines to me so I can drink them. All of a sudden, their "System is down" to process such requests. Then they hit you up for these management fees which suck out ANY potential gains you might have ever made. Their customer support is terrible... to the point you feel like you want to put a fist through your monitor at how angry they make you. I just want out... I want out of their shitty scammy framework. However, I want to hold them accountable for the wines they supposedly put in my portfolio. I want to see those wines.... I want to drink them. Anyway... for anyone considering using them. Stay clear. Its a TERRIBLE investment unless you are looking for one to dump money into and take sustained losses year over year.
John L.
I have basically written off my initial investment as they won't ship me my wines (without it costing as much as my initial investment just for shipping, ironically) and their is 0 demand in their marketplace to actually sell them. Its all just a big scam folks. They lock up funds to secure high monthly fees and do everything in their power to push you off (in fact they don't even respond to me anymore- full ghost). And I am 99% sure they do not have the wine they say they do, nor actually store it. I could go on for a few hours here on all the problems I have encountered with the team over the past few years, but its not worth it...its a shame- could have been a strong company with a lock on the market in the US. But that is what greed does to certain young founders. What a shame!
Response from VinovestJul 31, 2025
Hello John, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re genuinely sorry to hear that your expectations haven’t been met, and we’d like to address the points in your review to provide a clearer picture for you and others reading. First and most importantly: your wines absolutely do exist and are securely stored in globally recognized, professional wine storage facilities such as Octavian Vaults and LCB. These third-party warehouses are industry-standard and used by top wine merchants and collectors worldwide. Regarding your statement about shipping, international wine logistics are complex and can be costly, especially when dealing with duties, tariffs, temperature-controlled handling, and consolidation across multiple warehouses. We never charge arbitrary fees—any shipping quote you receive reflects real third-party costs, and we’re always happy to explore ways to minimize those expenses. As for wine sales: all wines listed through Vinovest are marketed to the outside fine wine trade, not just within our platform. Demand depends heavily on market conditions, maturity, and pricing. While liquidity can vary, our team continues working on your behalf to identify buyers through a broad network of global merchants and collectors. Finally, we’re disappointed to hear you felt ignored. We make every effort to respond to support inquiries, and if you’ve been waiting on a reply, we’d like to investigate and follow up immediately. Please reach out to us directly at [email protected] with your registered account information so we can address your concerns without delay. We understand your frustration and are here to help. While the journey in alternative investments like fine wine isn’t always smooth, we’re committed to transparency and improving our platform and services every step of the way. Thank you again for your feedback.
pat
Logged in to invest more money and my wine and my money had been zero out. Would like to know who stole it as I received no wine and no money somebody has both. Would not recommend to anyone until they find my wine or my money. Never happened to in 50 years
Cristian L.
This is not an investment, it's a trap for your money wrapped in a good looking interface. I just happen to need to liquidate what I have in vinovest and can't wait until maturity for another 5-10 years. I've listed the wines in my portfolio well below their estimated value and added flexible pricing. But more than 1 month later, nothing. I doubt they have a marketplace. But of course they keep charging me holding fees and asking me to add funds to my account. Ridiculous. And to think I almost referred some friends. I'm very happy my friends were not interested when I told them I had found vinovest. EDIT: As they mentioned in their reply, indeed my wines have been finally sold, albeit maybe because I significantly reduced their price to make sure they are sold.
Response from VinovestJul 1, 2025
Hello Cristian, Thank you for sharing your feedback — we understand how frustrating it can be when expectations aren’t met during the liquidation process. To clarify, your wines were officially listed for sale in April and were made available to a broad network of external buyers. While we do everything we can to help facilitate timely sales, there is no guaranteed timeframe for when wines will sell, especially given current market conditions where buyer demand can be slower. After further review of your account we have confirmed that all of your wines have now been sold and all proceeds are available for withdrawal. Vinovest does not limit sales to an internal marketplace — your wines were listed across external channels and promoted to a global network of collectors, merchants, and brokers to help maximize your opportunities. Thank you again for your time and sharing your feedback,
Marlow F.
Vinovest is terrible. They made it sound like an investment platform, and that I could buy and sell wine freely. Lies. When I wanted to liquidate my wines they told me to fill out more paperwork, and held my money for over a year and I still do not the proceeds from having my wine sold. The best part is, because they are ridiculous and terrible at their jobs, they took fees from my sale price to cover their “storage fee’s” and took hundreds of dollars off the price of my wine over the last 12+ months. I emailed their customer service the other day and they said oh yeah it “sold yesterday”. I had not emailed them in 7 months, but coincidentally it sold the day before I emailed them. Give me a break! I literally LOST 25% of the value of my portfolio investing with Vinovest - do NOT invest with them, they will keep your money and make interest, and return to you whenever they feel like it. Total scam.
Response from VinovestJul 31, 2025
Hello, Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear about your frustration and want to take this opportunity to clarify a few important details regarding your account. All of your wines have now been successfully sold, and 100% of the proceeds were returned to you as of the end of June. While we understand the experience may not have met your expectations, we want to confirm that no funds have been withheld and your account has been fully settled. We also want to clarify that Vinovest does not charge advisory or performance fees. The fees deducted from your sale proceeds were related to storage and insurance, which are clearly disclosed and continue to apply while your wines are stored—whether they are held, listed, or awaiting sale. These fees ensure that your wines are professionally preserved until the moment of transfer or delivery. We understand that the fine wine market operates differently from more liquid asset classes. Sales can take time, and values can fluctuate depending on market demand and maturity. That said, we’re always available to provide guidance and transparency throughout the liquidation process. Thank you again for your feedback.
René van K.
I invested 10000 euro. Left it for one year and most for two years. I started selling some, which took forever, lowering the price month after month, I succeeded in selling some after 6 months. It took my 1,5 years to sell my complete portfolio, ending in selling cases for half of the market value. This market at Vinovest is simply not liquid!! There is no demand.
Response from VinovestJun 26, 2025
Hello Rene, Thank you for sharing your experience. We understand your frustration and sincerely appreciate your patience throughout the selling process. It’s important to clarify that wines on Vinovest are sold on the external market, and as such, sales can be influenced by external demand and market conditions. This means there is no guaranteed timeframe for selling, and pricing may fluctuate based on market interest at any given point. We've confirmed that your portfolio has been fully sold and that your funds have been returned to you. Thank you for allowing us to manage your investment, and we wish you all the best in your future ventures.
Brian
Impossible to get money out. Scam
Response from VinovestMay 22, 2025
Hi Brian, We're sorry to hear about your experience and take concerns like this very seriously. Our team is more than happy to assist, but we will need some additional details about your account to investigate and help resolve the issue. Please reach out to us directly with your account information so we can look into this and help you as quickly as possible. Thank you