| |
|
|
How To Start A Wine Collection
|
|
Written by Creative Leather
on
11/8/2011
|
|
If you’re thinking from going to stocking beer in your fridge and hard liquor in your home bar, consider wine. Depending on your ultimate motives, be it to have a collection that could be at the ready to open and share immediately or one that balances immediate satisfaction and long term investment with bottles of wine that can be allowed to age there are some fundamental steps you need to consider as you think about becoming your home’s wine steward:
1. Temperature. One thing that amateurs have to consider is the temperature at which their collection will be stored. The ideal for wine storage is between 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit with the danger zone of anything above 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The reason for this is that high temperatures cause a wine to age quickly and just as fast turn your collection into a useless assortment of bottles. For those on a real strict budget and can’t afford any number of wine storage coolers on the market for under a $100, even a place like a hall closet can be turned into a wine cellar with how well it can keep out the light and regulate a lower temperature.
2. Assortment. Consider wines from around the world. Think of your collection not as a hyper focused group of your favorite red wines from Sonoma county, have a global sensibility and stock your collection with vintages from other countries. From Chile to Australia, reds and whites, your collection can quickly become well rounded with a few bottles that have been chosen based on their global strengths.
3. Selling or Drinking? After a wine matures, it starts to lose its value and it certainly loses its ability to be enjoyed as a drink. For example, a fine bottle of Bordeaux can take up to 15 years to peak while a nice bottle of Burgundy can peak in eight years. As a rule of thumb, the lower the cost of wine, the sooner it needs to be consumed. If the aim of your collection is to sell as you go along, you will get the best price 1-3 years before the recommended serving time. Wines under $25 are best consumed within 3-5 years. Keeping a collection for 3-5 years? Invest in wines in the $25-35 category. Five or more years? Invest in wines over $40.
|