How to start a wine collection?!
How to start a wine collection?
I am looking at starting a small collections at first.
Where do I look and what kinds do I look for?
Answers:
Collecting Cabernet Sauvignon would be a good thing to start with. Go to your local wine shop and look for one that have been reviewed. The owner will have this information. Buy as you can afford. Keep your wine at 60 degrees, temperature variation degrades wine quickly. Mark your wine with date of purchase and notes from shop owner or reviewer, attach notes to bottle. Keep record on your computer so you can access the list at any time and NOT duplicate your wines. Make a hard copy of this list and keep it in your wine cellar. Good luck.
First buy some wine. Hay look at that you are already getting started with your collection
Fine a book or pamphlet maybe at a wine store that has information about different classes of wines and start with a small variety. I recently started a wine collection and this has worked well for me.
What do you like? That would be a good place to start. I have found that some of my favorites are regional apellations and cannot be purchased through normal channels as the production is too low. They must be purchased directly from the vintner. Vignoles from the small Arkansas Poste Familia Winery is one of these. I have found some excellent regionals in Idaho and one or two in Arizona. If you have the ability to travel, or while on a family vacation do a little research in advance and see if there are any vinyards near your route or destination. Most have tasting rooms, Experiment, you may find something most extraordinary.
There are so many ways to start collecting wine it really depends on what you like and much you want to spend. Follow the link below for a more detailed guide to collecting wine.
Before you start building a wine collection you may want to consider the fact that all the stories about aged wine and it's quality is kind of a myth.
I have had the oportunity to discuss wines with a production managers at large wine factories and their answer was that for white wine optimum age is three (3) years max and for red wine it's fifteen (15) years max. After that their quality rapidly decreases. Add to that the need for good storage place (low light, right temperature, racks etc)...
Well it is whatever you want to drink. A collection is something you want. If you like reds get reds, if you like whites, get whites.
Dont let anyone tell you what to get because you are the one who will be drinking it.