Tips for Starting Your Own Wine Collection

November 05, 2018

If you enjoy a glass of wine regularly, you may want to consider starting your own wine collection. It’s a lot of fun, and it doesn’t have to be extremely costly to get started. With a few tips to guide you, you can get an excellent collection started that will enhance your future drinking pleasure.

Tip #1 – You Don’t Need to Have a Cellar to Get Started

Think you can’t get started because you don’t have a wine cellar? You don’t need one. You simply need a place that stays at a stable temperature all the time, is vibration free, and away from direct sunlight. A corner in the basement or a small, cool closet where you can stash a few boxes of wine is perfect to get you started.

Tip #2 – Collecting Modestly Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive

A modest collection doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, collecting on a small scale may actually save you money. Case discounts, even if you go for a mix of wines, often apply. Closeouts on older vintages and seasonal sales can also save you money.

Tip #3 – Start Slowly and Avoid Buying Too Much at Once

You don’t need to buy a lot of wine at once. Buy a couple of bottles at once. Drink one and save one. One of the most common mistakes when starting a collection is to buy too much wine at one time. This can leave you with a collection from one region, one type of wine, or one vintage. Take it slow.

Tip #4 – Avoid Buying Too Much of the Same Type of Wine

If you buy too much of one type of wine, you’re not leaving room for your tastes to evolve in the future. Experimentation is one of the joys of starting your own collection. Remember, it’s not just reds that age well. Sparkling wines, many sweet wines, fortified wines, and dry white wines all can improve over time, so expand your horizons as you collect.

Tip #5 – Don’t Just Save Wines for Special Occasions – Enjoy Them

While you’re sure to find a few special bottles that you want to keep for a special occasion, make sure you’re not saving everything for a special event. Any evening is a special occasion, so make sure you actually enjoy your wines instead of hoarding them for the ‘perfect’ moment.

Tip #6 – Don’t Buy Too Many Trophy Wines

Having a few high-end trophy wines is great for collection. However, you probably won’t pull those ones out for a drink with dinner. Make sure that most of your collection is wines that you can enjoy anytime in the next few years.

Tip #7 – Beware of Investment Wines

If you merely want a modest collection to enjoy yourself, beware of those ‘investment’ wines. You take on more risk when you purchase expensive, rare wines. Corks can fail, and most sellers don’t guarantee the drinkability of wines that are really old. If you’re not planning to make a profit from your collection, skip the ‘investment’ wines and work on a collection based on sharing, learning, exploring, and enjoying wine.

Tip #8 – Tend to Your Collection Regularly

Make sure you tend to your collection regularly. Bottles can be forgotten, overlooked, or lost if you don’t keep them organized. Checking on your collection and keeping it organized will help you make sure you don’t miss that expensive bottle you’ve been saving for the perfect occasion.

Have fun as you start your collection. Experiment a bit and find new wines you enjoy. Most importantly, make sure you reward yourself with a special bottle of wine from time to time. After all, that’s what collecting is all about – enjoyment. If you’re ready to purchase your first bottle for your collection, contact Cellaraiders today. We’re happy to help you get your collection started!

Sources
https://winefolly.com/tutorial/10-tips-for-starting-a-wine-collection/
https://www.thekitchn.com/wine-collecting-tips-for-beginners-170210
http://imbibemagazine.com/10-Tips-for-Budding-Wine-Collectors/
https://heritagevine.com/5-tips-starting-maintaining-wine-collection/

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