How Long and How Big ?

[GordonCooks]

How long have you been collecting and how big is your wine cellar? I've only been collecting for about 4-5 years. I have about 140-160 bottles on hand of which 84 are sleeping for the next 5-10 years. The house I just moved into had a nice darkroom (photographic) behind the bar that is a constant 60 dg. The addition of a cheap air conditioner and appropriate racks gave me space for up to 400-500 bottles. Not that I may have ever have that much to plan on staying in this house for more than a year of two.

[docsconz]

I've been collecting since the early 90's. my cellar has room for about 2000 bottles, but I probably have closer to 2300 bottles with a number of boxes stacked in the middle of the room. My collection is about evenly divided between new world and old world. The old world is mostly french and Italian with a fair dollop of Spanish thrown in along with some port, Takaiji, German and Musar. The new is predominantly west coast US and Australia with a touch of Chile and Argentina.My rate of collecting has slowed considerably and yes I do drink it. The cellar is climate controlled.

Collecting wine is a disease. The more you do it, the more (and more expensive) you do it

[melkor]

4 or 5 years, about 400 bottles. Mostly california, german, and australian. Its in a vinotemp cabinet, which is full.

[davidbdesilva]

First of all I love the Freudian male inuendo of the title! So I continue it by saying that mine is short and small! I've been seriously collecting for only about 6-7 years I guess and I only have about 60 bottles. Let me say that this is only because of the fact that I have three growing children so for now essentials come before wine (the agony of it all) I live in a fairly old house (75 yrs) so there is an old coal bin room in the cellar that is usually fairly cool. Since I have limits in quantity (and have to sneak it passed the wife), I concentrate on quality and value. My small collection is predominatly Italian with some American and French. I usually equally divide between drink now and lay down to rest wines. Someday I envision having a larger climate controlled cellar with oodles of wine directly next to my climate controlled humidor containing my many boxes of Cuban cigars. Well we all need to dream a little don't we?

[redwinegulper]

I began collecting wine in the late '80s. I presently have about 250 bottles, but only half is climate controlled. I used to focus more on California, but now I drink more Italian and French...and 98%red. Although some of the wine I age for 5-10 years, much of the wine is for earlier consumption. I can fully understand what docsconz means by an addiction; and I have been very controlled...but I am also very tempted to build a larger cellar(but how much can I drink?).

[Andre]

I had been collecting ever since I opened my wine shop. I sell some and drink many.

[GordonCooks]

(and have to sneak it passed the wife), I concentrate on quality and value. My small collection is predominatly Italian with some American and French. I usually equally divide between drink now and lay down to rest wines.  Someday I envision having a larger climate controlled cellar with oodles of wine directly next to my climate controlled humidor containing my many boxes of Cuban cigars. Well we all need to dream a little don't we? 

and have to sneak it passed the wife

I'm lucky to have a girlfriend that enjoys wine almost as much as I do and will even accompany me to various stores (provided she has a good book to read in the truck)

next to my climate controlled humidor containing my many boxes of Cuban cigars

Well, If we're talking stogies and spirits - that's what I did for the 5-6 years previous to my wine collecting.

Edited August 13, 2003 by GordonCooks (log)

[tjaehnigen]

started about 4 years ago. Have about 120 or so on hand usually, only a portion of which are temp controlled. Moving the rest to my pop's basement soon.

[britcook]

Been collecting since we got our present house, which is over 20 years ago. Fortunately in the middle of the 19th century our house was a wine merchant and we have proper wine bins and barrel spaces (although some idiot bricked up the barrel spaces). 12 bins which could hold about 10 cases each if racked out, more in case storage. Personal stock usually runs up to 300 bottles (depending) with the same again for our wine club. Temperature is usually a steady 55 F year round although in the current heat it has reached 60. Just slightly moist rather than damp. I may not have the best collection but I keep it in superb condition.

[futronic]

I've only been collecting for a little over a year, but I'm at 180 bottles and counting. Stored in an overflowing Vintage Keeper unit.

About 80+% Italian, although there are some Rhone, Australian, and smaller selections of other new world wines in there.

[russ parsons]

Been collecting since we got our present house, which is over 20 years ago. Fortunately in the middle of the 19th century our house was a wine merchant and we have proper wine bins and barrel spaces (although some idiot bricked up the barrel spaces). 12 bins which could hold about 10 cases each if racked out, more in case storage. Personal stock usually runs up to 300 bottles (depending) with the same again for our wine club. Temperature is usually a steady 55 F year round although in the current heat it has reached 60. Just slightly moist rather than damp. I may not have the best collection but I keep it in superb condition.

bastard! do you know how much i hate those stories? here i am in 100-degree southern california listening to the butt-ugly vinotemp in my store room labor day and night to keep cool. i've got about 40 or 50 cases. been collecting since the early '80s. not much left from those days, though. and, i have to say, for the last 6 or 7 years i've really been concentrating on buying wines to drink right now.

[wattacetti]

I feel for Russ as I continue to run both air conditioners day and night while awaiting the eventual delivery of the Transtherm Ermitage (my rented cellar space is getting full).

I've dabbled with collecting on and off for the past three years but got serious about it over the past year once I got access to Alberta's deregulated wine/liquor industry. Currently sitting at about 80 bottles (all being held - stuff for immediate consumption gets bought pretty much right before it's consumed), with about half being Bordeaux; most of the rest is Burgogne, Australian and Chilean with one or two interesting labels from the US and Spain.

I do have one bottle of wine produced in mainland China and one made locally from Seyval grapes: both received as gifts and both kept in view as warnings (yeah! you try them).

[Lancelot]

Present collection numbers approx 750 bottles. The wine we have had the longest in our cellar is a bottle of 1986 Leoville Barton that we purchased in Sept 89 for $18.00. Lots of Turley ,big stupid Shiraz and port. However I have begun to walk upright as modern man. Increasing numbers of whites are starting to appear ie Albert Mann, Gaston Huet , Kalin. Tons of dessert wine are filling the racks. Kracher from Austria is my current obsession as well as large format wines. Wines from British Columbia are starting to increase as well . Would like to make some big dents in the numbers but the buying disease continues.

Edited August 19, 2003 by Lancelot (log)

[Phil Ward]

I have been collecting since I was 20 (1971) and have a couple of 1000 btls. Mostly French, CA, German Ries, Ports, smattering of Spain, some new worlds, a few btls of Italians and of course some dessert wines. We are in a new house so the cellar is underground, passive, and if binned out, totally, I could probably store 6k btls(it ain't gonna happen as there is no budget and I love to consume daily.)