Wine 101: Starting a Collection

[Brad Ballinger]

So, you want to start buying more wine, and maybe even storing some bottles for special occasions or to ensure you have a variety of wine on hand for whatever occasion. Or maybe you’ve reached an age where beer and margaritas aren’t doing much for you anymore. I have nothing against beer and margaritas (and still enjoy both on occasion), but maybe you are interested in wine because, well, it’s time to grow up.

There are a number of reasons why people develop an interest in wine. There are a number of questions to answer for yourself before embarking on this undertaking, and I will touch on a few of them here. But the questions are by no means the only ones to ask and answer.

1) Do I even like wine? The answer is probably “yes” if you are even reading this article, but permit me to go a bit deeper. Do you like a variety of wine? It’s okay if the answer is “I only like California Cabernet Sauvignon,” and such an answer will narrow the focus of your wine collecting. But, in general, people who pursue wine as a hobby generally like a variety of wines. Notice I didn’t say every type and style of wine, just a variety. If you like a couple different styles of white wines and perhaps a few more of red wines, then you are ready for the next question.

2) What is my purpose in buying more wine and starting a collection? There really isn’t a right or wrong answer to this question, but knowing your answer will help you achieve greater satisfaction from your newly added hobby. Do you like older wines and, therefore, wish to begin a collection so you can have some older wines at some point in time? Do you wish to collect hard-to-find bottles of wine and resell them at an auction? Is the wine for your personal enjoyment, to share with friends, to bequeath, or some combination? Do you live far away from a retail outlet with a wine selection you like and want to have good wine at the ready?

3) Is your partner on board? Does he or she like wine? The time (and money) one partner spends on a hobby – any hobby – can be a cause of tension in the relationship. If you are not in a relationship, do you plan to be down the line? I’ve heard stories of friends of mine who hide the amount of money they are spending on wine from their partner. I’ve also heard stories of getting caught.

4) How much do you want to spend? Whether your answer is in per year, per month, per week, per day, per paycheck, or per bottle amounts, give this question some consideration. Wine collecting doesn’t have to be expensive, but it easily can be. As you read about more wines, you may find a part of you saying, “I have to have that wine.” That’s fine – if you’ve budgeted for it. After you’ve answered this question, go back to number 3.

5) Where will I store my wine? Much fuss is made over state-of-the-art climate control systems that maintain consistent temperature and humidity. If you are collecting as an investment or to age wine long-term, then you may want to consider such a system. If you live in a climate where it is difficult to maintain consistent conditions and low enough temperatures in one part of your dwelling, you may also wish to consider investing in a climate control system. If your living situation is such that you can’t build a wine storage area or don’t have a place to put a stand alone one, many retailers will let you rent storage space from them for a certain dollar amount per case per month. Of course, this means you have to plan in advance when you want to get that certain bottle our of their cellar and into your home. If you are going to store wine in your residence, and don’t wish to purchase a climate control system, find a place that has three things going for it – it’s dark, the temperature doesn’t fluctuate greatly or frequently, and the temperature is below 65 most of the time. Some people are going to take issue with that last statement, but I’ve yet to see solid controlled scientific research conducted over many years that identifies an ideal storage temperature.

Now, you are actually ready to buy wine. This means a whole new set of questions.

6) If I want a variety of wine in my collection, what’s a good mix? It’s important to think about the wines you’d like to have on hand. If every bottle in your collection is a “trophy” bottle, you’ll find yourself continually running to the wine shop to get something to drink now because you’re afraid to touch anything in your collection. Consider having some of each of the following (all of which you will find for either immediate consumption or longer-term storage):

a. Sparkling wine. You never know when you’ll need to open a bottle for a celebration. While my personal bias is that sparkling wine is also great dinner wine, most people enjoy it as an aperitif and for toasting. Always a good idea to have some on hand.

b. Crisp white wine. Whether it is for lighter dinner fare, the patio or deck, or with finger food before dinner, you will have plenty of occasions to open a wine of this style. These wines will vary in their mineral makeup, aromatics, and fruitiness. Learn what you like.

c. Fuller-bodied white wine. For food dishes that call for it, as an aperitif, or to open while you read a book.

d. Lighter-bodied red wine. While juicy, ultra-extracted behemoths get high scores in the wine press, it’s often the lighter, more acidic reds that make better food partners.

e. Fuller-bodied red wine. For food dishes that can deal with it, for reading, for the fireplace, for the backyard.

f. Sweet or fortified wine (optional). This is if you like these styles. They have their place with cheese, with dessert, or on their own after dinner.

7) Where should I buy my wine? This is critically important. You want a retailer that stores its wines well (both in its cellar and on its shelves), is knowledgeable, has plenty of what you like, and is fair to deal with (regarding pricing and returns). Some people can find one retailer that fills all their needs, but usually you will have 2 or 3 main ones.

Regarding storage, I’ve been in stores with southern exposures where direct sunlight shines on many bottles, cooking them. I’ve been in stores where bottles stand upright and are caked with dust, meaning the cork has dried out and oxidation could be taking place prematurely. If there is a large older-vintage inventory on the floor, be sure to ask how long the wine has been sitting there. You don’t want to hear, “Ever since we got it in seven years ago.”

Regarding knowledge, has the staff (or staff member helping you) tasted the wine? Has he or she tasted other wines like it, from the same area, producer, etc.? How long has he or she been employed in the wine business? I cannot place too much emphasis on developing a solid relationship with a wine merchant. That relationship will serve you better than nearly every book, magazine, or web site. As you continue to shop there, the staff will learn what you like and what you don’t like. They will make better and better recommendations.

Regarding selection, does the store specialize in a certain region or style of wine? Do they have a large variety? You may find you prefer one merchant for U.S. wines and another for European wines, and yet a third for Southern Hemisphere wines.

Regarding fairness, how do the prices compare to other retailers in the area? You may find that one or two retailers are always the highest priced. That may be okay if you are getting added value in how that retailer stores the wine, who they employ, or how nearer they are to your home versus a competitor. Also, ask about their return policy. One of the hazards of wine as a hobby is that you will come across an off bottle (see Wine 101, Disgusting Things in Wine). Will they exchange or refund your purchase if a bottle is corked? Most reputable shops will if you have a receipt, and if the flaw in the wine could not have been caused by poor storage on your part. Corked wine (wine afflicted with TCA) is never your fault. It's not the fault of the retailer, either. But good ones will take it back, and usually send it up the line for a refund themselves.

8) What should I do in the wine store when a staff members asks, “May I help you?” For starters, be prepared before you set foot in the place. Know what you are there to buy, how much of it, what you wish to spend, what the wine is for (dinner at your home, at someone else’s, long-term storage, a gift, something else?). If you are prepared, the staff’s chances of doing right by you go up. And don’t be offended if asked how much you wish to spend. This will keep the employee from making a recommendation that is uncomfortable for both of you. And no one is thinking ill of you for having a limit. The days of trying to upsell you or condescend to you are a thing of the past. The bottom line is that the retailer wants you to return. This will be especially true if you disclose that you are starting a collection. They want to be your retailer of choice. Period. They don’t want you to walk out the door thinking, “I’m never going back there.”

9) Is it better to buy wine by the case? Depends. Most places offer case discounts on wine purchases. Some offer it for mixed cases, but usually the discounts are for a case of the same wine. So there is a savings to be had. But if you’ve never had the wine before, a case purchase is risky no matter how much you trust the staff’s recommendation. Before you purchase that case of unknown wine, buy one bottle to taste first. If you taste it and decide you don’t want 12 more, you’ve saved yourself some money and some instances of drinking wine you don’t like.

10) Okay, it’s the tenth question, and I’m getting tired of reading, what one other piece of advice would you give me? This is the easiest question for me to answer, and it’s an answer I’ve given time and time again. Taste as many different wines as you can. In-store tastings, community wine tasting events, informal tastings in homes, hosting one of your own, these all are great ideas. Tasting a lot of wine helps you to discern what you like and what you don’t like. Write down the name of a wine you like. Even if your retailer doesn’t carry that wine, the staff member may know it and can recommend something fairly similar. You will learn more about wine tasting it than you will reading about it. So it’s time to stop reading this Wine 101 installment, start tasting more wine, and take those first few steps on what will be a fun and rewarding journey.

[Hopleaf]

That's a great post, Brad. I really enjoyed reading it and came away with more than a few new things.

I wonder if you or someone could make some recommendations specific to a noobie on a budget. I typically look for new wines that are a decent introduction. I often spend a lot of time talking to the various knowledgable people selling these wines and take their recommendations to heart. I've gotten several gems that have helped me carve my tastes out a bit at this early stage in my wine development.

Perhaps there are many of you that post here who are well beyond such an introdcutory stage but can harken back to those days of yore. And if possible consider the price element. I know this is probably bad, but I tend to shy away from any bottle beyond $15. This isn't solely because there's not a lot of money to be had and I'd rather spread the wine budget on more as opposed to less, but also because I guess I lack the confidence that that money was well spent.

One of my local wine merchants (Binny's, for those of you in and around Chicago) offers a great program that is free to sign up for and has many benefits for wine lovers, novices and pros alike. It's called the Frugal Wine Lovers Club. Basically it's similar to loyalty cards you see at grocery stores, but you also can sign up to recieve a weekly email newsletter with listings of new arrivals, you gain points towards a $10 gift certificate (which you can use on anything in the store...I plan on using mine on a $25 bottle, just adding it to my wine purchasing ceiling). Most importantly card holders get really great discounts on bottles that are otherwise not on sale. Members only! The people working these stores are so informative. Highly recomend them.

So any specific recommendations around ten bucks a bottle +/-$5 would be greatly appreciated. I started my wine education on Zinfandel, tried to get a handle on some Beaujelais (Villages, the Nouveau this year and last, Fleurie and one other I can't remember), worked through a bunch of Shiraz (even did a comparison between Australian Shiraz and Californian Syrah...the latter proving to be a much softer interpretation of the grape), have dabbled in Pinot Noirs, both domestic and French, and now am trying my hand at some Côte du Rotie and some other Rhône offerings, have begun to try rosés of most of the above grapes and some whites, Pinot Grigio mostly. I have purchased Karen MacNeil's extensive wine book, which is quite helpful, but lacks much specific wine recs. I also have gotten a few recent Wine Spectators that I find helpful.

Anything anyone can recommend would be greatly appreciated.

[DTBarton]

Nice write up Brad. Alas, I've alraedy taken the plunge, put in a cellar room when I remodeled the house (yes, the spouse is on board). I did it for two reasons.

1. After getting my first tastes of aged red wine from my brother and father in law, I had to have some of my own.

2. I love to cook and my ultimate goal is to be able to grab wine from my cellar to match whatever it is I've decided to cook that day (I'm pretty close, need to restock my Alsace).

As for the Chicago newbie, my best advice is twofold:

First, if you haven't done so already, do enough buying and tasting to familiarize yourself with the names and flavors of the varietal wine grapes. This will tell you where to concentrate your buying efforts. Chardonnay, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache, Syrah, Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Gris (Grigio in Italy), Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, that's enough to start. You don't have to do exhaustive book learning, just enough to know what you like and ask good questions about grapes, styles, and blends.

Second, definitely peruse all your local wine stores. Chat up the help, find out if they're helpful and knowledgeble, and not pretentious or snooty. And most importantly, buy some of their recommendations (with respect to grape, style, and price) that you've inquired about. By doing this several times, you'll gradually identify the stores and personnel that a). carry what you like in your price range and b). have staff that offers reliable recommendations. I have two main stores in Annapolis that I frequent and make occasional trips to Washington DC to shop in the big DC wine meccas like Calvert Woodley, Pierson's and MacArturs.

Good luck, have fun with it, and don't take it too seriously. If you like a wine, it's good, no matter what the local wine snob says!

[Brad Ballinger]

Well, $15 goes further at Binny's than at many other places. So you have that going for you.

I'm going to mainly recommend non-U.S. wines given your budget constraints. It's not that you can't find good stuff for $15 and under, but my opinion is that you'll find better stuff from Europe, even with the weak dollar.

Bubbles

Haton Champagne

Nino Franco Prosecco

Elio Perrone Moscato d'Asti

Whites

Inama Soave Classico (just the regular bottle)

Pieropan Soave Classico (just the regular bottle)

Rodet Bourgogne Blanc

Chateaux Bonnet Entre-Deux-Mers Bordeaux Blanc

Lageder Pinot Grigio

Corregia Roero Arneis

Basa Rueda

Palacios Placet Rioja Blanca

Palombo Malvasia "Chiaie"

Villa Carafa Falanghina

Firriato Altavilla

Reds

Jouget Chinon (also the Jouget Chinon Rose, if you can find it)

Onix Priorat

Castano Monastrell

Cuilleras Cotes-du-Rhone

Chateau La Roque Pic St. Loup

Chateau du Trignon Cotes-du-Rhone

Marcarini Barbera d'Alba

Prunotto Barbera d'Alba

Moris Farms Morellino di Scansano

Villa Carafa Aglianico Sannio

Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Niedermayr Lagrein

Tollot-Beaut Chorey-Cote de Beaune (it might be a little over $15, but should be under $20)

Just some ideas. Also, since you live in the Chicago area, you can just go to Bennett Wines at 2050 N. Halsted, and have Liesel Bennett set you right. She is very picky about what she sells. Much of it is below $20 (maybe now that ceiling has been raised to $25). But you can find lots of great stuff in the teens. Whenever I get to Chicago, Bennett Wines is always my first stop. And if I never get to Sam's or Binny's, so be it.

[DTBarton]

Forgot to add, as far as value/budget goes, here are my current faves.

Check out Spanish wines and as you mentioned, Beaujolais, for value. You can get some really good bottles in the $8 - $15 range from those two areas. 2003 vintage of Beaujolais is fantastic. Can get some pretty good values in the Sangiovese/Chianti type things from Italy in a good year, but have to sift through some chaff as well.

As I've posted before, I'm a big fan of Alsace and you can get some bargains there as well since American demand is low, but the falling dollar is hurting us some all around the world.

[A_Broad]

I like wine and it likes me. We're fortunate enough to be living in Italy for a bit and it's hard not to have a strong relationship with wine here. So here's the million dollar question...How do I know what to drink now and what to save? We have the Wine Spectator Ultimate Guide and it's only confused me more in some ways. Prior to purchasing the guide, we bought some nice (and by "nice" I mean pricey) '97 and '99 Brunello's (most likely because of the consumption of too much of it). Now I am trying to learn more about wines and don't understand why it's saying to "drink until 2006", for example. How do they know it's good only until then and how do you know when it won't be at its peak anymore? And how come I wake up every morning with a headache and don't remember the night before?

[Brad Ballinger]

I like wine and it likes me.  We're fortunate enough to be living in Italy for a bit and it's hard not to have a strong relationship with wine here.  So here's the million dollar question...How do I know what to drink now and what to save?  We have the Wine Spectator Ultimate Guide and it's only confused me more in some ways.  Prior to purchasing the guide, we bought some nice (and by "nice" I mean pricey) '97 and '99 Brunello's (most likely because of the consumption of too much of it).  Now I am trying to learn more about wines and don't understand why it's saying to "drink until 2006", for example.  How do they know it's good only until then and how do you know when it won't be at its peak anymore?  And how come I wake up every morning with a headache and don't remember the night before?

←

If when you first taste a wine you notice a significant amount of tannin (mostly for red wines) or bracing acidity (mostly for whites), you can leave the wine alone for a while. Since you live in Italy and, presumably, have a chance to actually talk to the winemaker (if you purchase wine from the source), that person will be your best authority. That person will have tasted multiple vintages of his or her wine at various points in the wine's development. That experience will render a pretty decent opinion on the current wines for sale.

However, bear in mind that many (I would argue most) wines are sold for immediate consumption and enjoyment. It's not that they'll go downhill quickly. It's just that the wine can be enjoyed today as well as a few years from now. This is especially true of wines sold in the U.S. at varying price points and wines not costing a lot of cash elsewhere.

You will also learn what works for you the more you taste wines of varying maturity.

[DTBarton]

I find that I like Parker's reviews more than Wine Spectator, but others will disagree. You have to use someone since I certainly don't get the opportunity to taste most of the wines I buy. Parker does usually put a range of years for drinking on his aging wine reviews (e.g. 2007 - 2012) which gives you an idea from someone who's tasted the wine and acknowledges the subjective nature of the task.

For aging red wine, I try to do some research and if I decide to purchase a particular wine to age, I try and make a commitment of at least 3 bottles. That way, you can try the first one when you think it's about ready. If it's good, yahoo, you have some more to enjoy. If it needs to sit, you've established a baseline. If it stinks, oh well, better luck next time (see the Burgundy thread)

[melkor]

I think the most important thing to realize when starting a collection is that over time your taste will change. I've got lots of odd bottles in the cellar that I really enjoyed at one time but over time they have lost their appeal - the same is true of everyone else I know with any significant number of bottles. If you are on a budget, I’d recommend against buying things by the case with the intent to age them unless you really love the wine.

[docsconz]

I think the most important thing to realize when starting a collection is that over time your taste will change.  I've got lots of odd bottles in the cellar that I really enjoyed at one time but over time they have lost their appeal - the same is true of everyone else I know with any significant number of bottles.  If you are on a budget, I’d recommend against buying things by the case with the intent to age them unless you really love the wine.

←

Is it that your tastes have changed or has the wine changed? Are they wines that were designed for aging or drink now wines that suffered by being held too long? Tonight I had a bottle of Kistler 1995 Dutton Ranch Chard that was still brilliant. I am not generally into chards as I used to be, but I still like the odd bottle now and again

There are a number of reasons to collect wine. Some do it as an investment, others for love and others as a disease I do it because I want to maintain a variety of good wine over time. As a result, one recommendation I have is not to go too hog wild at first. Collect a good variety with good aging potential. My problem now is that even though I drink wine fairly regularly, I have run out of room to store more. That is good and bad. I have already made my investment and given how wine prices have increased it may have been a good allocation of my funds versus what it would cost me for the same wines now. The bad thing is that I am less able to lay away today's wines for future consumption. It may be that i wind up collecting in waves.

[halloweencat]

not a collection question per se, but i'd like to know if wine can be obtained in half- or quarter-bottles.

i don't actually like the feeling of an alcoholic buzz, and loathe the feeling of being drunk. because of that, i don't really drink alcohol.

perversely though, i've got an interest in tastes of things. the idea (and practice) of tasting wines is pleasureable, but i'd try more if the bottles were smaller. my typical consumption is a half-glass, a glass at most (and rarely that). honestly, i appreciate the taste and aroma and would love to try more wines, but they are more costly, considering my consumption rate.

cheers :)

hc

[DTBarton]

not a collection question per se, but i'd like to know if wine can be obtained in half- or quarter-bottles.

i don't actually like the feeling of an alcoholic buzz, and loathe the feeling of being drunk.  because of that, i don't really drink alcohol.

perversely though, i've got an interest in tastes of things.  the idea (and practice) of tasting wines is pleasureable, but i'd try more if the bottles were smaller.  my typical consumption is a half-glass, a glass at most (and rarely that).  honestly, i appreciate the taste and aroma and would love to try more wines, but they are more costly, considering my consumption rate.

cheers :)

hc

←

There are some things that are available in half bottles. The most common are sparkling wines and dessert wines.

Perhaps a better option is to invest in a vacu-vin or similar system that allows you to reseal an uncorked bottle and withdraw the air above the liquid. While not perfect, this does allow you to keep the wine for several days after opening. Also, some red wines change in interesting ways when they're open (and re-corked) for a few days. Unfortunately, others do not so this is somewhat of a crap shoot.

Another option is to seek out restaurants that offer nice selections of wine by the glass.

My final idea is that I bet it wouldn't be too hard to find some grateful friends that would help you finish off a bottle that you open. Wine tasting is much more fun in a group anyway!

[Brad Ballinger]

not a collection question per se, but i'd like to know if wine can be obtained in half- or quarter-bottles.

i don't actually like the feeling of an alcoholic buzz, and loathe the feeling of being drunk.  because of that, i don't really drink alcohol.

perversely though, i've got an interest in tastes of things.  the idea (and practice) of tasting wines is pleasureable, but i'd try more if the bottles were smaller.  my typical consumption is a half-glass, a glass at most (and rarely that).  honestly, i appreciate the taste and aroma and would love to try more wines, but they are more costly, considering my consumption rate.

cheers :)

hc

←

Here is what I recommend. . .

Purchase some half bottles (or even collect some empties from a restaurant that has half bottles on its list).

Clean out the bottles well. Let them dry thoroughly.

When you open a 750ml bottle of wine, immediately fill the half bottle and cork it (or use a vac-u-vin rubber stopper). Your cork will likely not fit all the way into the bottle, so I'd fill the bottle neck fuller than what you normally see.

The bottle will keep well until you decide to finish it.

I'd advise agaisnt vac-u-vin other than the stoppers. My experience has been that they not only suck out the oxygen, but also some of the attractive volatiles in the wine itself.

[Smithy]

I'd advise agaisnt vac-u-vin other than the stoppers.  My experience has been that they not only suck out the oxygen, but also some of the attractive volatiles in the wine itself.

←

I never thought about the volatiles being sucked out. Can you actually taste it, Brad, or is it just your sense of chemistry talking? I ask mostly out of curiosity, because (1) even if *you* can taste it may not mean that *I* can, and (2) since when did a good bottle of wine last more than one night around my household?

Nancy

[Bill Miller]

Brad, I really enjoyed your lesson, but I want to add something from personal experience. When we built our new home my wife let me have an 84 bottle wine celler which was really a piece of furniture (very attractive). My plan was to buy a few bottles a month--some to drink some to save and some (I love Barolo) to hold. Then I found out that the celler does not work properly (according to the manufacturer) unless it is over 2/3 full. I of course had to spend more in a short time than I intended --filled it with mostly wines under $10. It took over a year to let attrition bring my collection to where I wanted it. By the way, I got my wife a water softener --she gave me the celler-- another hint to the new collector. Regards, Bill

[Ling]

Hi, this is my first post in the wine forum...I'm posting on behalf of my friend.

He's just started collecting wine in the last two months, and has so far invested about $3000 Cdn. His cellar is about 1/10 full now. He buys a variety of wines from a variety of regions, at a variety of price points. Usually, he buys only a few of each bottle based on recommendations from his friend (a wine consultant) at the wine shop.

His plan is to buy 2-3 cases a month. (I don't know if that info is relevant, since I don't know much about wine.)

His question is how should he go about organizing his wine cellar? Should he group all the wines from, say, Spain, together? Or all the bottles from the same varietal together?

Also, the cases he is buying now are mixed (1-3 bottles of each choice, I believe). Is this a good or bad idea? He has not tasted many of these bottles before. They are mostly chosen based on his friend's recommendation, and fall in the $30-$40 range per bottle.

Edited December 25, 2005 by Ling (log)

[melkor]

Pretty much any plan for keeping a cellar organized is likely to fail. The only way I've been able to keep track of what bottles are where is by keeping things on my computer, I used excel until that turned out to be more work than it was worth. I switched to cellartracker a year and a half ago or so. Bottles go wherever there's room for them and as long as I put the correct info into CT then they are all easy to find.

[carswell]

For small collections in cellars with lots of free space, organizing by region is fine. For larger collections in cellars with little free space, it's not very practical, since the number of bottles from each region in your collection is in constant flux depending on what you drink and buy. Twelve spaces may seem ample for Beaujolais when you map out your cellar, but then you discover the pleasures of aged Moulin-à-Vent and begin holding on to them longer than you'd planned or you run across an incredible bargain Bojo and decide to buy a case. And what if you're busy the day you buy that case? You take it to your cellar and find your Bojo section has only two spaces left. You don't really have time to move the Burgundies in the adjacent rows, especially since that would also require reorganizing the Burgundy and the Northern Rhône sections, but then again you don't want to leave the Bojo standing upright on the floor, so you just stick the Bojo in whatever spaces you have free. Repeat that scenario a few times and your regional organization is pretty much kaput.

Many collectors just give each space a coordinate, usually the column and the row of the rack (e.g. J7). Then, when they stick a bottle in that space, they note it in their cellar book or cellar management software for future reference. In fact, most cellar management programs have some sort of coordinate system built in.

How many bottles? Budget permitting, I recommend buying at least three; that way, if you open a bottle too soon or with the wrong food, you have another shot or two at getting it right. Also, the joy of drinking a glorious wine is only augmented by knowing you have another bottle or two (or eleven!) in the cellar. If your friend plans to open his bottles at large gatherings, he'd should buy in multiples large enough to provide everyone with a decent serving. Generally, though, the beginning collector is probably wise to avoid investing heavily in a specific wine or type of wine; our tastes change over time and the Shiraz that knocks your socks off today may strike you as an undrinkable fruitbomb — or may not go with the kind of food you tend to cook — five or ten years hence. That said, buying a few wines that age well (Burgundy, Barolo, Bordeaux, Rioja, Vouvray, Alsatian/German riesling, some Calcabs, etc.) in case quantities affords you the opportunity to get to know the wines well and see how they develop over many years, an opportunity available only to those lucky enough to have a cellar.

Edited December 25, 2005 by carswell (log)

[Ling]

I've emailed him the responses. Thanks so much!