I have a bottle of Salon Champagne (regarded as one of the greatest champagnes on the market which is only released during exceptional years) from the much acclaimed 1982 vintage in my “cellar” at home. Well, I can’t really call it a “cellar” because it is stored at the back of a cupboard out of arms reach!

I purchased this bottle back in 1999 for around £70 which would be about £140 in today’s money. Although this bottle is worth considerably more than that now, I did not buy it as an investment and I do intend to drink it. With Christmas fast approaching there is always the thought – will this be the year!

When I bought this bottle my intention was to hold it for the longer term. I have stored it in a safe and secure place, hidden, so as to avoid the temptation to meddle with it and drink it too early or at the wrong time! This wine will (I hope) have improved and evolved with age which will give greater drinking pleasure!

There is, I think, a similarity here with investing and experiencing a successful longer term investment journey. It’s important to select the right “bottle” at the outset i.e. high quality, low cost (there may be a deviation here!), super diversified funds designed to efficiently capture the returns that markets offer.

And to then leave the “maturation” process alone, avoiding the temptation to look at “it” too often and exiting (“drinking”) at the wrong time!

This approach may during certain periods be hard to adhere to, with conflicting messages and external noise from the media, friends or other forces. But patience and discipline when it is “opened” will likely result in being rewarded with something that is far better giving greater pleasure and satisfaction.

Whatever is going to be in your glass this Christmas – enjoy!