From Oenophile Tom Black
Starting Your Wine Collection
So the first question everyone asks me who doesn't know me is "How did you get into wine?" As a boy, alcohol was not served in my home. After college I got a job selling products to bankers and had to entertain. Since I was ordering the wine I thought I should know something about it. And that, my friends, was the start of a now twenty year experience.
Since I am officially a "wine collector" I thought I'd share some ideas on how to start being a wine collector or "how to start your collection".
First, knowledge is power. When I first started collecting, I couldn't afford to buy wine to store, just for immediate consumption. However, I could afford wine books and wine magazines. I now subscribe to a dozen wine publications and have over 200 wine-related books (I haven't read them all). However, if you want to start a wine collection, I suggest you get some book learnin' (as we say in Tennessee). My dad used to say "I buy you books, and buy you books and all you do is chew off the covers". Well, it's not the covers that matter.
Here are some books to start with. The first book I'd buy is Wine for Dummies. It's simple, basic, and easy to understand. After that, I'd get Karen McNeil's Wine Bible. I found it very useful and a good reference. One other book I'll mention is Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia. These three books are a great start.
If you want to keep up on the latest developments in the wine world then Wine Spectator magazine is the best. Wine Spectator provides good information every month. But there are other sources of knowledge as well. Wine tasting classes are offered at several restaurants and these provide hands-on experience because you drink and discuss wine. Next time you dine out, ask your sommelier where the classes are offered—sommeliers will know. Wine Spectator also has a class online at winespectator.com, and there are other online classes as well. Since wine is now the most popular alcoholic drink with Americans the information is everywhere. (Yep, wine passed beer this year).
So now that you're building your knowledge base the second thing is to decide what kind of wine you want to collect. There is no point in collecting Beaujolais, Rosé, or Proseco. These wines were meant to be drunk immediately so you must find wines that improve with age. Remember, the idea of collecting is to consume at some point when the wine has improved. Generally these are the most collectible wines; Grand Cru Bordeaux, Grand Cru Burgundy from the best years, both white and red, premium Champagne cuvees (like Dom Perignon), Rhone wines (both white and red) from the best producers, and California Cabernets and Cabernet blends, again from the best producers.
So pick your sweet spot. I started with California and moved to Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhone, and then Italian. The vintages make a difference on all these wines so learn what deserves to be put down and what deserves to be drunk now.
In California, every vintage of premium Cabernet or Cabernet blend for the last ten years would generally improve by cellaring (that means storing). This is not true of other regions. In Bordeaux, I am laying down (storing) these vintages: 1982, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000, and 2001. In Burgundy for red it's 1990, 1995, 1996, 1999, and 2002. For white Burgundy it's 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2002. The Rhone and Italy you'll have to figure out yourself because I'm running out of space.
Next, where do you get these wines? Well, the first stop should be your local retailer. Find one you like, trust, and that is knowledgeable. If you live in a state that allows direct shipping you can get wine directly from the winery, or again depending on state law, you can buy at auction. There's an article on my website, www.tomblack.net, that explains how to buy wine at auction. Another place for collectible wines is charity wine auctions. You kill two birds with one stone—get great wine and help somebody else. I just can't say enough about getting professional help when you start collecting. Knowledgeable local retailers are your best friend when you start. There are plenty of people that just sell wine or pretend to know something. Find a retailer who really knows. This stuff can get expensive!
Now you know your sweet spot, you know something about wine, and you know where to get it. Now you must store it properly. Know this: Wine hates light and heat. It also hates really cold temperatures, but the first two are deal breakers when it comes to storage.
Many of the most expensive wines in the world are stored in France in cellars without heating or air conditioning. So you don't have to have a temperature and humidity controlled area if you have a cellar in France. Seriously, if you are going to collect, you need a temperature and humidity controlled cellar. You can buy one that stores from 50 to 600 bottles. Appliance stores carry them or you can look on the internet. Search for "wine storage units". You can also build one if you think your collection will get bigger than 600 bottles (trust me, it will). This will involve buying a unit that controls heat and humidity. I started in a damp natural cellar on Belmont Boulevard, built a cellar to hold 1,500 bottles, then another to hold 3,000 bottles and now I have three fairly large cellars where I live. So my advice is you will fill whatever space you have.
Finally, set a budget. You can start a great cellar for $3,000, or you can start a smaller one for less. Most wine will not go down in value so you can always resell collectible wine if you need to. One final thought from an old Italian saying, "It is around the table with wine, that friends understand best the warmth of being together." Or as Carl Spraker (Bill Murray's character in Caddy Shack) would say, "Gunga la dunga!"
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