Wine Cellar 101

A
story in the
Wine Spectator a couple of years ago makes me chuckle
every time I think about it. It concerns Joe the Wine Geek,
his wife and their wine cellar. After a few incidents
involving his wife when Joe wasn’t around, like when she
opened a $3OO bottle of Le Montrachet and added ice to it
because it wasn’t cold enough, he decided to color code all
the bottles. It was a simple code that made it plain for all
who looked at it. The first color was green. These wines
were fair game at anytime; quality, everyday drinking wines
to be consumed at will. Next in line was yellow. Much like
moving from DEFCON 5 to DEFCON 3, this was a serious jump.
Yellow meant: Call me before you open. Lastly, the bright
unmistakable red was: If you open, we’re
divorced.

Joe’s
color-coding system is amusing, but it also signifies a
shift in philosophy – moving his wine collection from a
random assortment of bottles to a structured collection. I
often meet people who are in similar states of transition.
They’re interested in wine, have begun to accumulate bottles
of wines they enjoy, and would like to start a personal wine
cellar. If you’re reading this article, you might be in the
same situation. So what should you consider in starting a
personal wine cellar? Like anything else there are many
different aspects to consider. The logistics of storage, for
example, including: location, how to temperature control,
racking, using a wine fridge, and, if so which brand to buy
and how many bottles should it store? While these topics all
have merit, I want to look at the more enjoyable part of
building a cellar: buying.

Not to point out
the obvious but, starting a cellar should be a lot of fun.
Buying and cellaring wine need not be an expensive hobby to
be rewarding. Time and a good dose of passion are paramount.
It’s also important to build relationships with the people
from whom you buy, and most likely receive advice. Hopefully
you already have a favorite wine shop with some
knowledgeable people working there who are just as “bitten
by the grape” as you are. Pull them into the fun with you.
I’d also say up front that you should look at, but then look
beyond, the latest ratings in order to build a well-rounded
cellar. For example, if you are anything like me, at certain
times of the year you’re in the mood for different styles
and colors of wine. Or maybe you have certain regular dinner
guests with very particular tastes. Having the right kind of
wine on hand when the mood strikes or that picky dinner
guest around is worth its weight in gold instead of running
to the wine store, if it’s still open.

Beyond having
these essential bottles on hand, the easiest way to think
about structuring your cellar is by looking at color first,
followed by varietals. I’ll start with sparkling wine and
Champagne. Always having a few bottles of your favorite
non-vintage producer is a good idea and maybe a bottle or
two of a prestige cuvee or simply the top-of-the-line from
that house. Rose is good to have for some delicious food
pairings such as salmon or beef. For everyday drinking take
a look at Cava, Prosecco or Cremant, of which I have been
very impressed with the offerings from Alsace lately, and of
course California sparkling. If you have bottles that cover
this spectrum, you’ll have a well-rounded collection of
bubbly.

Moving to white
wine, there are three grapes on which I’d suggest you focus
as a start: Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. There
are lots of other white grapes out there, but these will
give you a strong foundation in starting a cellar.
Chardonnay is a good way to start withinteresting
variations to consider from arguably the world’s most famous
grape. The most common style to the majority of North
Americans is the stereotypical Chardonnay from California:
lots of oak that is rich and buttery and always a crowd
pleaser. At the other end of the spectrum is Chardonnay from
cool climates without oak, most notably from parts of
Burgundy, like Chablis, where some producers make wine
without any oak at all, and New Zealand, where the fruit is
a little bit richer and the wine can also be made in the
non-oaked style. Clean and pure with pear and minerals, this
style is worthy of attention and a slot or two in your
cellar racks.

Then there’s
Riesling. From its slightly sweet styles to the bone dry and
dessert offerings, no cellar is complete without wine’s
longest-lived grape. Germany, Austria, France, Washington,
and Australia are the key countries to look at for wines in
a range of budgets and for both short and long term
cellaring.

Sauvignon Blanc
is another varietal with myriad styles to look at. Most of
these are short term, but a few of the wines from better
producers do benefit from a few years of cellaring.
Sauvignon Blanc put New Zealand on the map of the wine world
and it keeps on getting better. The Loire Valley and white
Bordeaux is where most of the longer term cellaring
potential is found from top producers of Sancerre and
Pouilly Fume. White Bordeaux is generally a mix of Sauvignon
Blanc, Semillon and sometimes Muscadelle, and is fascinating
to taste at different points in its life, to see how it
evolves. From the bright grassy citrus in a very young
bottle to round, rich wax fruit notes in one kept awhile
longer in the cellar, these wines are well worth seeking
out. The best producers can age for ten years or more. Be
sure to look at the bright clean styles from northeastern
Italy and the oaked styles from California.

There are also
three categories of reds I’d suggest you consider as a
cellar foundation. And if we’re moving “Sideways” into reds,
how can we not start with Pinot Noir? No greater burgundy
has come close to the market presence reached in North
America than the aforementioned movie. And about time too.
Burgundy is the benchmark for all Pinot Noirs, but the lush
style of Napa along with the cooler climate influenced wines
of Southern California, Oregon and New Zealand are long
overdue to be noticed by the general public.

The second
category for reds would be Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Though different grapes, they should be mentioned together
as they are so often blended together. It is rare to find
either of these grapes from any country making wine with
1OO% of one of these grapes. Bordeaux and Napa Cabernet are
great places to start this section of a cellar. Some
suggestions to look at are Fronsac and Cotes de Castillon
for very good short term cellaring wines. For Cabernet, if
you haven’t looked at Washington for all levels of wine you
are missing out.

Third in the
reds, the “Rhone” varieties can easily be spoken about at
the same time. Syrah, Shiraz, Grenache, and Mouvedre being
the most commonly used as the primary grape, alone or within
a blend. The main notables of this style are the fashionable
appellations in Rhone like Hermitage and Chateauneuf. In the
New World, Shiraz from Oz certainly can be thought of as the
leader in this grape in any level. Southern California has
been a haven for these grapes for years and many of the
“Rhone Rangers” make some topnotch wine from Paso Robles,
Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

Last, but not
least, dessert wine that can be cellared is almost an
article in and of itself. There are late harvest styles,
Icewine, Tokaji, fortified wines including port and Madeira,
the list goes on and on. Some of the most rewarding for long
term cellaring, in that you can taste the evolution of the
wine if you open bottles of the same vintage at different
times, are Tokaji, Port, Sauternes, and late harvest styles
from Germany, Austria and Alsace. Buy a selection of these
to round out your cellar, and drink your dessert from time
to time.