The Innovation Conversation

Innovation Conversation: Fine Wine Investment, Entrepreneurship, and Building WineFi with Callum Woodcock


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Innovation Conversation: Fine Wine Investment, Entrepreneurship, and Building WineFi with Callum Woodcock

In this episode of Innovation Conversation, host Ricardo Pascual sits down with Callum Woodcock, founder of WineFi, to discuss the world of fine wine investing and the entrepreneurial journey behind building a platform that simplifies this alternative asset class. Callum explains how WineFi manages the sourcing, storage, and sale of wines for both individual and institutional investors, offering a hands-off investment experience.

They dive into:

  • How investing in fine wine compares to stock investing — focusing on producer, vintage, and price.
  • The importance of bonded storage for ensuring wine quality, provenance, and tax advantages.
  • The investment profile of fine wine — outperforming mainstream equities, low volatility, and uncorrelated returns.
  • Strategies for maximizing value by holding wine assets during their optimal drinking window.
  • Challenges around wine forgery and how to mitigate risks.
  • Callum’s journey launching WineFi, advice for fundraising, and why storytelling is crucial for investor pitches.
  • The role of mentors, resilience, and making small incremental improvements as an entrepreneur.

Tune in for a fascinating look into fine wine as an alternative asset and what it really takes to build a startup from scratch.

Brought to you by Startup Summit 2025 — Europe’s leading startup and investor summit, happening September 18–19, 2025, in Lisbon.

🎟️ Learn more and secure your spot at www.startupsummit.io

🕒 Chapters 00:00 — Introduction to WineFi 01:06 — Similarities and Differences with Stock Investing 03:04 — Storage and Provenance of Wine 06:18 — The Investment Profile of Wine 08:03 — Maturity and Selling of Wine as an Asset 09:36 — Liquidating Wine Assets 10:34 — The Origin of the WineFi Idea 17:47 — Expansion Plans and Geographical Focus 19:23 — The Influence of Climate Change on Wine Production 25:39 — Challenges and Advice for Fundraising 36:11 — Dealing with Rejection and Perseverance 38:14 — Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 38:44 — Taking the First Step 41:11 — Small Incremental Changes 41:51 — Future Plans and Fundraising 43:16 — Contact Information

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The Innovation ConversationBy Ricardo Pascual