(FTAdviser) - Fine wine prices fell by 15 per cent in 2011 as the market corrected from the sharp rises of 76 per cent since the end of 2008, and some stockholders took profits and returned to cash given the uncertain economic conditions in the eurozone. Nevertheless, wine is still proven to be an excellent longer term investment, with prices over five years rising by 66 per cent compared with 0.9 per cent on the FTSE 100. Looking forward, the only two previous bear markets for fine wine in the past 25 years (1998 and 2008) saw the market hit a low point in December and recover sharply the following year. With technical analysis also pointing to wine having been oversold, this could be the most advantageous time to buy into the market since January 2009.