Q: How to start a cellar?
Question from Charles: Hi there ive been wanting to collect wine for awhile now but not sure how to start. I don’t know that much about wine and i don’t have a lot of room to keep it for now i’am looking as this like an investment maybe resale or consume or a little of both but i dont have a celler they would be on racks out of the sun of course. The thing is I’m going to pull my hair out so any help please but just remember i’m new at this and a lot of dum right now.
Answer: Hi, Charles! Thanks for writing! This is quite a project you’re taking on!
First, let’s talk about storage conditions to ensure that your wine is in good shape down the road. As you probably know, your cellar is supposed to duplicate cave conditions so the ideal is darkness, a constant 55 degrees, very little motion and about 60-70% humidity. Cork-finished bottles should be stored sideways. Especially for resale, you need to store the wine properly. For your own purposes, you have a bit more leeway if you keep in mind that wide temperature fluctuations and light are extremely damaging. There’s more information in an article from our website which also offers general advice about aging whites, reds and dessert wines.
If you’re serious, you should think about building a cellar or investing in a wine refrigerator. You mentioned that you’re short on space and, in that case, you might look for a wine-storage company in your area.
You should buy wine that you like and also has good aging potential. Not knowing your tastes, there’s a vast world of wine out there and I suggest you find a top-notch retailer to help get you started.
Buying wine for investment purposes is a tricky business and will require research on your part. I found some excellent tips from folks who ought to know, Berry Bros. & Rudd. Or contact some “cult wine” producers and try to get on the mailing list. You will probably have to wait awhile. They say that a large percentage of these wines are purchased as an investment rather than for enjoyment. For instance, you purchase a bottle of Screaming Eagle for $500.00 direct from the winery and then flip it on a wine-auction site like winebid.com.
Some wineries sell what are called “futures.” It’s kind of the opposite of using your credit card. You make your purchase while the wine is still in barrels, presumably at a substantial discount, and pick it up later, when it’s finally released. Some California wineries do this; it’s more common in Bordeaux. You need to get on the mailing lists of the brands you want to invest in so you’ll know when they’re released and if they offer futures.
Most people with great cellars or who are successful as investors are tremendous enthusiasts who gain pleasure from following these things. Otherwise, as you can see, it’s just a lot of work! Good luck to you!
Cheers! Nancy
Wines with corks should be stored so that the wine touches the cork and helps to keep it moist….
EXCEPT if you are storing Champagne or sparkling wines for a long time and these must be stored upright. The alcohol will damage the elasticity of the cork that may eventually lead to total loss of gas pressure and at this point, you now have white wine and can store it on its side.
A large, long term study in England and a smaller short term study in France offered conclusive results, and I am continuing to test old Champagne as often as possible. Fortified wines such as Sherry, Port, and Madeira should be stored upright because the high alcohol content will also damage the cork. Wines (and now some sparkling wines) with plastic corks or crown caps may be stored in any position you want because I do not really care. Since the relative humidity inside a bottle of wine is always going to be really high, it is possible that having the wine touch the cork in any situation would be unnecessary and this theory is just another one of those old stories passed down as folklore.
Just because a bottle of wine goes bad, it does not mean that the cork dried out from bad storage conditions, and how many of these corks have actually been tested immediately, when all we want at the time is a good glass of wine?
Inquiring minds want to know…
Hi, Paul! Thanks for the additional information. I feel for you, having to evaluate all those old Champagnes. You poor man….
I’d be fascinated to know the source of the reports you mentioned. As you already know, there aren’t many sources out there who agree with their conclusions. I checked one of my favorite authorities, Jancis Robinson: “Wine in an inverted bottle comes to no harm. Recent research has suggested that an ideal storage position for wine bottles is at a slight angle from the horizontal so that the cork is kept damp but the air bubble of ullage just touches the cork rather than lying on top of the middle of the bottle. It has also been suggested that champagne ages most gracefully when stored in upright rather than horizontal bottles.”
Her endorsement of storing Champagne upright is a little tentative, but it’s still news to me! I am always eager for new information, so thanks again, and let me know if you need any help checking out those old bubblies! Cheers! Nancy