Fine wine trading prices continue to beat FTSE

Traded fine wine prices rose 3.7 per cent in February, according to the Bordeaux Index, continuing the asset's strong start to 2011.

This meant that wines comfortably outstripped the FTSE-100 index, which grew just 0.6 per cent last month, and the Dow Jones, which grew 1.6 per cent. However, the Middle East crisis meant that oil was the top performing asset class, rising 11.7 per cent to well over $100 a barrel. Gold surged 7.7 per cent.