Start Your own wine cellar - part 1
“Cellar” isn’t precisely the correct term. I had a cellar in my last house, in the basement built into a hill where temperatures were cool and steady year-round. Ideal, or pretty close. The house I’m in now doesn’t have a basement, so I built a well-insulated wine room in the back of my garage, cooled by a small air conditioner in summer and a thermostat heater for temperature drops below about 52 degrees. While many houses don’t have basements, “wine cellar” has become a symbolic term for any collection of wine, however large or small — it’s a convenient term, so that is how we’ll use it here.
Reasons To Start a Wine Cellar
Convenience. How nice to be able to walk a few steps and choose wine for dinner instead of having to make a special stop by the wine store. And not have to worry about running short. How convenient to have wine on hand for spontaneous occasions — if friends drop by, for instance, or the notion strikes to whip up a special dinner and make an evening of it.
Economy. It seems expensive to start a cellar at first, but it will save money in the long run. When you buy by the case there can be discounts up to 10 percent— that’s like getting a bottle free. Buying more than what you need for a single evening allows you to take advantage of wines on special. Often, when you go back for more, they may be sold out.
Investment. Fine wines, especially reds, appreciate in value as they mature. Good Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignons, Meritage blends invariably improve with age and become more enjoyable to drink. Prices are lower when they first come out, but exceptional recent vintages — 2016, 2019, 2022 for red Bordeaux — usually increase in value. Château Mouton-Rothschild 2003, cost around $185 a bottle on the first offer; buy it today and you’ll pay over $500. Lesser wines, lesser vintages, of course, won’t increase dramatically; better ones, however, such as the recent blockbuster 2022, will most definitely.
Fun & Pleasure … they’ll taste better with age! Given the chance to evolve in bottle, most reds develop more interesting aromas and flavors and become smoother in texture. Some white wines will also (well-balanced Chardonnay or White Burgundy, Alsace Riesling). It’s fun to browse through your accumulation, discover wines you forgot you bought, check up on what’s ready to drink ... and pull out something special and delicious for dinner tonight. See B.E's Discoveries
Getting Started
First you need a cool, quiet storage spot, away from light and vibration (definitely not atop the fridge!), where you can lay wine on its side to keep the cork moist and intact. If you don’t have a real cellar, the back of a closet or a cool corner can serve for a time. Though the ideal temperature for storing wine is 53 to 57 degrees, it will do OK at 60 to 70 degrees as long as the temperature is stable and doesn’t fluctuate above that. Check out temperature controlled storage units.
Then, start buying. Browse a few shops, see what’s out there in terms of specials — and taste when you can. Most of our wine shops have weekly tastings, many are free, so take advantage of them to see what you like … and don’t like.
Caveat. Always make sure you have wine for current drinking, so you won’t be tempted to dip into bottles that will get better if you can keep your mitts off them.
The Three-Tiered Cellar: $250, $500, $1000 +
Determine an amount you want to spend to get started, but whatever it is, divide it into three parts:
1. Wines to drink now. Depending on the amount you buy, this should make up a sizeable chunk of the whole. If it’s a single case, at least six bottles for current drinking — which you replenish as soon as you’re down to two—vital if you want to leave the ageworthy wines alone.
2. Wines to age four to seven years from the vintage date — three bottles or a case.
TIP: Split a case with a friend, or friends, to get case discount
3. Wines that need 10 years minimum to be at their best — three bottles or a case.
Ramp up the quantities if you are spending more — one case for drinking, a mixed case of wines to age four to six years, and seven to 10 years.
4. Replenish the stocks you deplete. You’ll be surprised at the nice little cache you will accumulate over time. Collecting wine can be addictive and an awful lot of fun. Working with a wine merchant you trust can be a big help—they can alert you to specials, new arrivals. Some, such as Durham’s Wine Authorities, keep track of purchases you make so you know the styles and types of wine you liked. Check out wine auctions such as winebid.com, Hart Davis Hart, Sotheby’s, and others, especially if you're looking for more mature wines in older vintages no longer on the market.
Current drinking: Choose a variety of whites, dry pinks and reds that drink well now. Inexpensive whites are best when young and fresh, so buy only what you will drink in a month or two. Reds: one to three years old: Beaujolais, Minervois, Corbières, Côtes-du-Rhône; Dolcetto and Chianti, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo; Australian Shiraz; Spanish Rioja Crianza, Monastrell, Jumilla; Malbecs from Argentina; Merlot, Syrah and Cabernets from Chile.
Age four to seven years, $20-$35, /bottle: California Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Rosso di Montalcino, Chianti Riserva, Rioja Reserva, Ribero del Duero; Aussie Shiraz $20-$30; Gigondas, Faugères, from the south of France; Pinot Noirs, $20 to $35 (Oregon Pinots offer exceptional value); red Burgundies from Givry, Mercurey, Côtes de Beaune-Villages; Portuguese Douro reds.
Age eight to 10 years or more: Reds, especially grand cru Saint-Emilion, which are good values; California: Cabernet, Merlot, Meritage blends and Syrah, $35 and up; if price is no object, red Burgundy can offer scintillating Pinots, also Russian River Valley; Italy: Brunello di Montalcino, Super Tuscans, Barolos; Spain: Pesquera, Ribera del Duero, Rioja Reserva, Priorat.
Other: It’s always good to have a bottle of two of Champagne or sparkling wine on hand; also a good wood-aged Port, such as Croft Distinction, Cockburn Special Reserve, or perhaps a 20-year-old Tawny Port for after-dinner or the cheese course.
Questions? Comments? Email me: b_e@bewinewise.com