The Liv-ex Fine Wine 1000, the broadest measure of the market, fell 0.07% in August. The index was set adrift in the first four months of the year but has since recovered to be relatively flat on the year even with the slight drift in August.
The Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 posted a positive return, its third consecutive month, despite Sterling showing some significant strength to end the month at a 12-week high against the Euro and a 9-month high against the Dollar.
Within the Liv-ex 1000, the Champagne 50 was the best performing sub-index, increasing by 1.19%, pulling further ahead of all others regions as the best performing sub-index over the past year. Italy, also up over the year, dropped a notch (-0.12%) for the month.
The Bordeaux 500 (0.09%) rose for its fifth consecutive month, adding to its 1.47% year-to-date performance. The Bordeaux legends 40 (0.17%) increased, while the Burgundy 150 (-0.38%), Rhone 100 (-0.07%), and Rest of the World 60 (-0.31%) all drifted slightly.
Total transactions, of which a third were through trade automation, and trade volume (12x75cl) both set new records in the month as the market continued its broadening. Notably, Australia, Germany and Spain all took record shares of monthly trade value. With La Place de Bordeaux releases from outside France coming to the market this month, smaller regions look set to enjoy continued support.
