For the budding wine collector: how to get started without a cellar or Bordeaux
Sometimes it seems that if you want to collect wine, you need to have a cellar, dusty bottles, and at least one Bordeaux that you don't actually dare to open. In reality, you don't.
Starting a wine collection doesn't have to be a big project. It can grow gradually, bottle by bottle, exactly as your own habit or interest develops.
We listened to a WSET discussion on “The new rules for collecting wines” and a very sensible idea emerged: Wine collecting can be much freer and more logical than previously imagined.
Start with wines you genuinely enjoy
The least necessary question is not what is valuable or "right." Rather, it's what you genuinely enjoy drinking.
If you like lighter white, start there. If a softer red, that's perfectly fine. If you prefer fresher or slightly different wines, even better.
There’s no point in collecting wines you don't actually want to drink. The best start to a wine collection is knowing your own taste, not someone else's list.
Should all wines be kept?
Often, a bottle simply sits there. You think that maybe someday the right moment will come, but sometimes it doesn't, and the wine's "prime time" passes.
Most modern wines are made to be drunk immediately. And quite often, they are most enjoyable when young.
If you want to leave something on the shelf to age, it’s worth researching whether that wine is even meant for such storage. A good wine doesn't need to wait years just to seem more important.
Bordeaux is not the only path
Bordeaux and Burgundy are, of course, good and reputable Old World wine regions, but they have long ceased to be the only direction. Many exciting things are happening elsewhere.
In Spain, Portugal, Armenia, and many other places, wines are made that are characterful, honest, and often a little unexpected. Forgotten local grape varieties are being rediscovered and learned to be cultivated with consideration for the specific place, soil, and climate.
The result is a broad and diverse world of wine where you don't have to start with the most famous names. Sometimes it's much more interesting to start where your own genuine interest arises.
What to start your wine collection with
Choosing doesn't have to be complicated; start with your favorite wines and dare to experiment with new tastes. Here are some examples of wines that could serve as a good base for a collection.
- Sparkling wine is suitable for celebrations, but it also makes an ordinary evening more special.
Baldus Cava Brut Nature Millésime
- Spanish red gives a bit more body but remains beautifully balanced.
- Fresh Italian white is lightly citrusy and mineral, working well when you want something clean and simple.
Surrau Branu Vermentino di Gallura
Collecting wine doesn't have to be a separate hobby or a major undertaking. It can simply be the knowledge that you have a few good bottles at home, and at some point, one of them will feel exactly right.
Sometimes it happens unexpectedly. But maybe already tonight. 🍷