I have a cellar of my own. How I got to that point is a little bit of a mystery but I think it has a lot to do with being simply mad about the grape!

Nevertheless, I am often asked about how I stock it or if I stock it or how do I know what I have etc…

I think that every individual stocks his or her own cellar according to his or her own tastes. The early drink wines really do not gain anything from being in a cellar. The less age worthy bottles that you have the more care you need to have to replenish the cellar. So there needs to be a balance.

I read somewhere that keeping a wine cellar is like doing a ‘Chinese Puzzle’. I feel that is fairly accurate. So one needs to have some detailed requirements to give your wine cellar some principles or reason. For instance…

Try to acquire wines of the same usage and style but which do not develop at the same rate. It is not good if they all reach their peaks or mature at the same time. It also helps you work on developing your palate and enjoying varietals.

Also, try to find wines that can stay at their peak for as long as possible; so you do not have to consume them all within a short period of time.

Furthermore, try to then vary the wine as much as possible in order to not have to drink the same wines over and over. It does not matter how great the wine is you need to have variety in your cellar so you can have it on hand for different occasions and for pairing with food.

The most important think about the size that you have to store and the budget that you have to spend.  In my case it allows ne to buy two to three bottles at a time so I can drink one sooner and save some for later.

Eventually you end up with the ability to choose a different wine every now and then; which for me is the best part of having a cellar; to be able to pick a wine out of a few choices when I need to.


By the way; other than reading the wine magazines; if you do travel to wine country buying wine from the producer, vineyard(via club) affords the pleasure  of getting great wine at a good price. It is also a great way to begin to understand the art of wine-making.