We're advising anyone and everyone to buy some vintage 2005 and we're trying to get as much as possible of it ourselves, " said James O'Connor, owner of Greenacres Wine Merchants in Wexford. ?It's possibly the best vintage ever produced because the conditions last year were perfect . . . the weather was right, the grapes were in good condition and they were harvested at their optimum quality. Everyone is going to want to get their hands on this wine."

The 2005 vintage is now available to be bought en primeur, which means buying it while it is still in the barrel. A shrewd buyer with a nicely-matured SSIA could make a tidy profit here. For example, wine from the now famous 2000 vintage is trading for up to four times the price it was first released at en primeur in 2001.

However, there are some words of caution from Charles Searson, owner of Searson's Wine Merchants in Monkstown, Dublin.

The quantities of wine will already be extremely limited and you're looking at paying around 2,000 to 3,000 for a dozen bottles of good vintage 2005 en primeur, " he said.

It's like buying a house in Shrewsbury Road today for 17m.

You have to wonder how much more the value will go up. Will that house really be selling for 45m in 10 years' time? I don't know."

Searson also advises prospective investors to buy from wellestablished merchants. There are a lot of scams on the go, and people on the internet are selling wine that quite simply does not exist, " he said. ?So buy from somone whose windows you can break, so to speak."

Both merchants agreed that French wine, specifically Bordeaux, is always the best bet.

Among the recommended labels are Chateau Latour, Chateau Petrus, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild and Chateau Haute-Brion.

?I have no doubt that wine values are going to increase in the next few years, and with a good wine, the value would usually increase by at least 10% per annum, " said James O'Connor.

?Also, you have to bear in mind that if it does fall in value, at least you can still drink it. You can't say the same about stocks and shares."