Start small. That advice works for many life endeavours, including wine collecting.
Keep the following tips in mind when building your wine collection, and remember to enjoy the process:
1. Start small.
This advice works for many life endeavours, including wine collecting. In this context, small can refer to the physical space you carve out for your collection, but also budget.
2. Define your budget
Determine how much you’d like to spend over a year: $500, $2,500, $5,000 or more – it’s up to you. Your plan could also be structured as a monthly budget which would allow you to enjoy shopping and investing on an on-going basis as you discover new brands, makers and wine clubs.
3. Know your favourites
Take note of what varietals and blends you like; explore them from different countries, regions and wineries. This also might be the basis of how you organize your bottles, too, while in storage.
4. Create storage space
You don’t need anything fancy here; simply keep a vertical wine rack in a cool, dark place (like a basement) and you have the makings of a wine cellar. Ideal storage temperature is about 13°C–18°C. If budget allows, wine fridges now come in a wide range of price points, and many are dual-zone and designed for cellaring both red and white wines.
5. Customize your collection
You might wish to begin your collection with a range of super-special or sentimental bottles (your anniversary year, kids’ birth years, etc.) and value wines. A 50-50 mix of “drink now” and “cellar for later” bottles is an excellent starting-off strategy.
6. Keep notes
Buy a wine journal, or use an app to capture your impressions. You’ll build your wine knowledge with every sip. It's also important to keep a record of the bottles in your collection.
