Vinovest Reviews 

285
TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

1.7

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I finally sold one of my wines after many months of being for sale, now I want to withdraw my funds and it just keeps the error message: "International withdrawals to your country aren't supported... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I joined Vinovest in August 2022. Nearly four years later, my portfolio is still down, with a cost basis around $1,320 and an estimated value around $1,246. The real problem is liquidity. The... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Easy to get in, impossible to get out. Your wines won’t sell. I requested a withdrawal 52 days ago and still haven’t received a cent—while they hide behind excuses about “withdrawal system glitches.... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Unfortunately, I am very concerned this is a scam since my money cannot be withdrawn despite me being a customer with them for 5 years. They charge absurd fees. They do not stand by their product. Do... See more

Company replied

Company details

  1. Wine Cellar
  2. Wine Store
  3. Wine Wholesaler and Importer

Written by the company

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.


Contact info

1.7

Bad

TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

285 reviews

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Asks customers to review

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Replied to 84% of negative reviews

Typically takes over 1 month to reply

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1.7

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(285)

46 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I would rate VinoVest zero stars.

I would rate VinoVest zero stars if possible. This has proven to be a deeply disappointing and frustrating experience.
The platform heavily promoted strong long-term returns through fine wine investments, which influenced my decision to commit capital over four years. While I fully understood and accepted the inherent risks of alternative investments, the reality has been far worse than anticipated. My portfolio is now down more than 50%, largely due to valuations at purchase that appear significantly inflated compared to prevailing market prices, compounded by ongoing fees that have eroded any potential gains.
Attempts to exit the investment have been equally problematic. Liquidation offers through their marketplace would have resulted in losses approaching 75%. When I instead requested shipment of the physical wine I own, VinoVest quoted shipping fees exceeding $2,000—roughly equivalent to the current stated value of my entire account. Furthermore, my initial shipping request in March 2025 was met with repeated delays and excuses, preventing fulfillment for months.
These issues point to serious concerns about transparency in valuations, account management practices, shipping logistics, and overall customer support. The company appears to overstate the stability and accessibility of wine as an investment while providing limited options for investors to realize value or access their assets.
I sincerely hope regulatory authorities, such as a state Attorney General, investigate these practices for potential misleading representations to consumers. A class action lawsuit may also be warranted to address the widespread dissatisfaction evident in numerous similar complaints. Prospective investors should proceed with extreme caution and thorough due diligence.

7 February 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Vinovest

Hi Ricardo,

Checking your account, I see your final wine was sold. You can withdraw your funds via our withdrawal steps (wallet icon, top right navigation menu of your portfolio.) If you need any help with your withdrawal, please contact customer support as we'd be happy to help.

Cheers!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Is Vinovest a scam company?

Withdrawals are permitted 90 days following initial account funding, as stated in their platform terms.
Timeline of Events:
September 9, 2024: I initiated a withdrawal request for $1,541.00 from my Vinovest investment account. Upon encountering technical difficulties with the withdrawal interface, I contacted support. I was instructed to manually submit withdrawal details via email, which I completed promptly. Support confirmed processing time of 1-2 weeks.
August 28, 2024: After the stated processing period elapsed without receipt of funds, I contacted support for clarification. They indicated they would investigate with their transfer department.
September 16, 2024: I followed up again, noting the continued non-receipt of funds.
September 17, 2024: Support acknowledged my inquiry and stated they would investigate the transfer status.
September 18, 2024: Support informed me that new verification requirements had been implemented and requested I complete additional account verification.
Early November 2024: I successfully completed all required verification procedures. Support confirmed my verified status and again stated processing would take 1-2 weeks.
December 1, 2024: Due to the failure to receive my initial withdrawal, I requested a complete withdrawal of $9,034.00. Support indicated this would require up to 3 weeks for processing.
December 12, 2024: I inquired about the status of my $9,034.00 withdrawal. Support stated they were unable to process the payment automatically and requested authorization for manual processing. I provided consent. They indicated completion within 1-2 weeks.
December 17, 2024 - Present: All subsequent inquiries sent via email have gone unanswered.
January 8, 2026: Upon attempting to access my account, I received notification that my account has been suspended. The system message indicated this may be an error and instructed me to contact support. No response has been received.
January 12, 2026: I attempted contact from an alternative email address and discovered that my primary email has been blocked from their system, as evidenced by receiving automated acknowledgment to the new address while receiving nothing on my primary email.
Current Status:

90+ days have elapsed since account funding (withdrawal eligibility period satisfied)
No funds have been received despite multiple withdrawal requests
Account access has been suspended without explanation
Support has ceased all communication
Primary email address has been blocked from their system
Total amount at issue: $9,034.00

2 February 2026
Unprompted review
Vinovest logo

Reply from Vinovest

Hi Sara. Checking your account, it has been closed and funds returned since 2/23/2026. We apologize for the delay in our withdrawal processing and have since resolved the processing timeframe errors.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Easily the worst financial decision…

Easily the worst financial decision I've ever made. I invested $10k in Vinovest years ago. I realized their valuations were way off market price and was getting crushed by their fees. So I decided to sell my wine. It's been almost 2 years now and still have close to $7k tied up in wine that they refuse to sell. STAY SO FAR AWAY from this company. Anthony Zhang should probably go to prison for defrauding investors in my opinion.

2 February 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Vinovest

Hi Sam,

I am glad we were able to strategically list your wines and sell your last wine this month. Please let us know if you need any further assistance.

Cheers!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terrible experience

I've had a terrible experience with this company. I invested 5K with vinovest. So far I've lost about $1700 of that through poor investing choices by vv, and fees. When I realized things were going poorly, I inquired about shipping the wines to me. That would've cost over 1k, far higher than conventional wine shipping costs. More recently, after burning all the cash in my liquid holdings via fees, they started an auto selling process of selling my holdings, against my wishes. Now they have sold at least 3 of my cases of wine without consulting me. I have tried to contact the company multiple times in previous weeks to stop them from this auto sale process. I've only received form emails and have not received a single call back.

26 January 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Vinovest

Hi David,

We've sent you an email to discuss liquidation options and strategy. It looks like your listings are well above FMV, which may be the problem getting buyers attention.

We've also got a new shipping partner, which provides much better quotes than our previous partner, so we've sent over some new shipping info as well. We look forward to hearing back from you and figuring out the best way forward for your account.

Cheers!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Tried to withdraw my money, they bought more wine with it

My issue is not with how long it takes to sell wine, but with getting the funds out after this. Withdrawals take 1-2 weeks, then 3-4 weeks...it's a joke, they claim they have a small accounting team - I work in finance, I know that one person could do this in moments. And I am a UK client, don't get me started on how difficult it is to get them to pay overseas. Apparently one of this accounting team claimed IBANs don't have letters! Highly concerning.

And most recently, having a withdrawal pending for over two weeks, and they use the funds to purchase more wine! Which I have not directed them to do. I believe this business is about to go bankrupt and cannot pay its clients. Will be pursuing legal action at this stage.

1 February 2026
Unprompted review
Vinovest logo

Reply from Vinovest

Hi Joe,

We apologize for the delay in withdrawal processing during this time. We were in the midst of a staff shortage and system change, which caused much longer delays than we planned for. Our current processing is right about at 2 weeks now.

As for the algorithm making a purchase, it sounds like your account may not be in the right status that would prevent that. Customer service would be happy to check into this for you and ensure your account is in the right status. Please reach out to support@vinovest.co for help.

Cheers

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Have not received payment (Resolved)

Have not received payment after sale of wine. 12/4/25 sale, 1/2/26 withdrawal processed. They said there was a system error and asked for my wire info. Provided it on 1/14/26. It’s now 1/24/26 still nothing. Amount owed is over $4k. Where is my money?

Wire received on 1/27/26. Process took far longer than expected. Frustrated, but happy to receive the funds. Be prepared for potential delays with withdrawals.

24 January 2026
Unprompted review
Vinovest logo

Reply from Vinovest

Hi SL,

Thank you for updating your review, and I'm genuinely sorry for the stress this delay caused. You're right - this took far longer than it should have, and "system error" isn't a satisfying explanation when you're waiting on $4K+.

I've flagged this internally to understand what happened and prevent it from occurring again. Wire transfers should not take nearly two months to process.

If you experience any issues in the future, please email me directly at brent@vinovest.co and I'll personally escalate.

— Brent Akamine, CEO

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Vinovest

Good morning,
I would like to share my observations about this company. Namely, so far the return on investment has been small after more than two years of investing, although the platform is easy to use. I will also add that every year I receive a return on investment from whisky, and this is visible in my portfolio. The problem is that people investing in assets such as wine want immediate profits, whereas this is an investment for the long term. I will also add that every investment carries risk and there are no guaranteed profits.

18 January 2026
Unprompted review
Vinovest logo

Reply from Vinovest

Hi Adam,

Thank you for this thoughtful and balanced review. You've captured exactly how wine investing works - it's a long-term asset class, and the returns tend to materialize over years rather than months.

I appreciate you recognizing that every investment carries risk and that patience is key. Your whisky returns are encouraging, and we're optimistic that your wine holdings will follow a similar trajectory as they continue to mature.

If you ever have questions about your portfolio or want to discuss strategy, our team is always here to help.

— Brent Akamine, CEO

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terrible experience

Terrible experience. Customer service is bad and you can never close your account. Avoid at all costs.

12 January 2026
Unprompted review
Vinovest logo

Reply from Vinovest

Hi Chris,

I'm sorry for your experience. "You can never close your account" is a serious concern, and I want to understand what happened.

Closing an account involves liquidating your holdings, which does take time in the wine market (typically weeks to months depending on your portfolio). But if you've been trying to close for an extended period without progress, that's not acceptable.

Please email me at brent@vinovest.co with your account email. I'll personally review your situation and give you a clear path to resolution within 48 hours.

— Brent Akamine, CEO

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolute diabolical operation

Absolute diabolical operation. Don't do it!

8 January 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Vinovest

Hi Demus,

I see you've left two reviews expressing frustration. I'd like to understand what specific issues you've encountered so I can address them directly.

If it's liquidity, fees, valuations, or something else entirely, I want to know. Please email me at brent@vinovest.co with details, and I'll personally look into your account.

— Brent Akamine, CEO

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Massive scam

Massive scam! They told me there was a technical issue with the platform that did not allow me to pay my overdue fees as I could not login. They then sent me an email to say they had liquidated parts of my portfolio (at half the price of what I had paid originally four years ago) because I had not paid my fees. On top of that they have been charging me 100s of pounds in fees over the years despite me not even being able to login to see my portfolio. Fraudulent company - do not investment

2 January 2026
Unprompted review
Vinovest logo

Reply from Vinovest

Hi Andrea,

This is a serious situation and I want to address it directly.

If you were unable to log in due to a platform issue on our end, and then had your portfolio liquidated because of unpaid fees you couldn't pay, that's a failure on our part. You shouldn't be charged fees for access you didn't have.

I'd like to personally review your account history, the login issues, and the liquidation that occurred. Please email me at brent@vinovest.co with your account email and any documentation you have (emails, screenshots, etc.).

I can't promise to undo what's happened, but I can promise to understand exactly what went wrong and discuss what options are available.

— Brent Akamine, CEO

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Thsi is the biggest mistake i have ever…

Thsi is the biggest mistake i have ever made. You read about how adventurous and lucrative wine collecting can be and I just choose the wrong partner. Vinovest is just plain bad at what they do and it is just geeting worse. How can wine collecting be lurative whe they have over 4000 wines for sale on their marketplace many at 20 to 50% off the estimated value and even then they are not selling. I have asked for my over 100 botles to be shipped to me here in the US which is part of thier sales pitch so I can "enjoy" them. I will be sure to post the reponse. Stay away.

8 December 2025
Unprompted review
Vinovest logo

Reply from Vinovest

Hi Scott,

You're describing the core challenge with wine markets: even at significant discounts, sales take time because the buyer pool is limited. I understand how frustrating that is when you're trying to exit.

Regarding shipping your bottles to the US: this is absolutely something we can facilitate. The cost varies based on warehouse location, bottle count, and destination. I'd be happy to get you a specific quote.

Email me at brent@vinovest.co with your account details and I'll personally ensure you get shipping options and pricing within a week.

— Brent Akamine, CEO

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Scam company

Scam company, estimated valuations are nowhere neaer mkt price, you will never be able to sell your wine for nearly what you even paid. Takes months to sell at pennies on the dollar, all the while they are charging storage and other fees. Shipping cost is ridiculously expensive to take delivery, was quoted 500USD to ship a half case. Wish I never gave them any $, stay away.

1 December 2025
Unprompted review
Vinovest logo

Reply from Vinovest

Hi Ben,

I want to address both issues you raised:

On valuations: You're right that our portfolio values (replacement cost) often exceed what you'd receive selling quickly. This is true across the wine industry - like the gap between Zillow estimates and quick-sale home prices. We should make this clearer, and we're working on showing both values side by side.

On shipping: $500 for a half case does sound high. Shipping costs depend on origin warehouse, destination, and insurance requirements. I'd like to review your specific quote to see if there are alternatives.

Please email me at brent@vinovest.co and I'll personally look at your options.

— Brent Akamine, CEO

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Don't trap yourself

I feel trapped. The market is completely illiquid, which makes it near impossible to get out of your investment once you're in. You can list your wines for sale, but even after putting them up for months at an almost a 50% discount, they don't sell. All the while you're constantly forced to pay monthly fees. When I signed up they said you could physically redeem your wines, but the reality is that they'll charge you an extortionate amount for shipping and insurance which makes it non viable. Truly a modern day scam, it's difficult to understand how they haven't been shut down by the FCA.

1 October 2025
Unprompted review
Vinovest logo

Reply from Vinovest

Hi Rick,

"Feeling trapped" is exactly the experience we don't want anyone to have. Let me address your points directly:

Liquidity: Wine is illiquid by nature - even at major auction houses, sales take months. That said, if you've been listed at 50% discount for months with no movement, there may be pricing or positioning adjustments we can explore.

Fees during liquidation: I understand this feels unfair. Your wine still requires storage and insurance while listed, which is why fees continue. But I hear you.

Shipping costs: These are set by logistics providers and vary by location. If the quote you received seems excessive, I'd like to review it.

Email me at brent@vinovest.co. I'll personally review your account and give you an honest assessment of your options - whether that's adjusted pricing, shipping, or something else.

— Brent Akamine, CEO

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Not for small stock investors

Not for small stock investors. I invested a small test investment of $4000 in November, 2020. Since that time, I have been asked multiple times to add more funds to my account to allow for the management fees of anywhere between $7 and $11 dollars a month. I added $200 (bringing the total investment cost to be $4200) strictly to pay for these fees, for the total return investment result of a *negative* 2.4% return from my initial investment amount almost 5 years ago. In fact, according to my account record there has been absolutely no management on my account since January. This business model runs entirely on the storage and trade management fees and is not self-sustainable through the actual trading of wine without additional funding from the investor to cover fees. Also, their website statement download area does not work for statements before August 2023, so all those statements are currently unretrievable.

8 October 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great Onboarding!

Had an easy and smooth transition. The portfolio advisor made it simple and easy for me to get started. She answered all my questions timely and helped me through all the processes.

21 August 2025
Vinovest logo

Reply from Vinovest

Hi Robert,

Thank you so much for the kind words! We're thrilled that your onboarding experience was smooth and that our portfolio advisor was able to answer all your questions.

Getting started with wine investing can feel daunting, so we work hard to make the process as clear and supportive as possible. If you ever need anything as you continue your wine investing journey, don't hesitate to reach out.

Welcome to Vinovest!

— Brent Akamine, CEO

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