Frederick Achom: A collector of Investments Frederick Achom describes himself as “a collector of many things – cars, art and wine”. But his collections are also his investments. “I look to invest in things I enjoy,” says the entrepreneur, whose Rosemont Group has business interests ranging from Italian kitchens to overseas property consulting to members- only clubs. “If you invest wisely, you can drink for free.” But his wine buying has a more serious side. He plans to fund the education of his two children, currently aged four and two, through his purchases. “I always buy the five First Growths [Chateaux Lafite,

Margaux, Latour, Haut-Brion and Mouton-Rothschild] and the returns are considerable,” he says. “I try to keep a separate account for the investment buys.” That does not always work; a case of Lafite 2000, bought to drink for £2,750, is now worth £20,000 and Mr Achom says ruefully that he cannot afford to drink it. But he also invests in New World and Californian wines, which is a riskier bet for most people, but he is confident of finding the right investments. “If you select wisely and stick to cult or boutique wines, you can make money,” he says. “Vineyards such as Screaming Eagle [which produces a very limited amount every year] can perform as well as Bordeaux.”