(Forbes) - Wine captivates people like few other natural products. It is at once a commodity to be quaffed and a treasure to be acquired and carefully kept. It’s a staple on tables around the world but it’s also art, like a fine painting, a handmade piano or the concerto that’s played on it. The value of wine reflects both of these realities. Wine can be one of those rare purchases made for pleasure and investment.

Worldwide interest in fine wines has never been keener, as ranks of people, many from China, are growing their income and moving into the upper class. Traditional powerhouse regions, like Napa and Bordeaux, have limited quantities of grapes and wines. As more people enter the high-end-wine market, wines from classic regions like these have gotten more expensive. It is harder than ever to buy a bottle from Chateau Lafite Rothschild.

For that reason, new regions pop up every decade or so and establish themselves as legitimate makers of fine wine whose reputations—and wine prices—continue to climb. For instance, Willamette Valley pinot noirs (Oregon) weren’t a big deal 15 years ago, but they’ve steadily climbed the ladder since then.

Wine buyers who can get out ahead of these trends get to enjoy two things: great wines at modest prices, and the satisfaction of watching an acquired asset appreciate. That second benefit assumes that the buyer doesn’t drink everything in the larder.