In the wine world, there is much talk about how younger wine collectors are changing the way that wine is consumed and collected. Although thrifty Millennials are said to spend less per bottle than their parents did, there’s no doubt that this generation has produced some serious collectors – and whether or not they are completely revolutionizing wine, they have certainly had a big part to play in the exposure of small producers making unique wines in obscure spots around the world.
As with virtually every other passion in the modern world, habits are changing when it comes to acquiring and collecting wine. Today’s collector has a smaller collection that is more personally meaningful to them. While the days of cavernous private wine cellars certainly aren’t over, it’s also common to see wine walls, custom cellars built to hold no more than 150 bottles, and interesting wine racking tucked away in nooks, behind doors, in hallways, and wherever the square-footage-strapped collectors of today have the space and design savvy to display their collection.
With a smaller collection comes the knowledge that most of the bottles, while also a potentially great investment, will eventually be drunk. They should all be easily accessible, readily identifiable and have significance to the collector, whether they are meant to be consumed at tonight’s dinner party or next year’s graduation. If you’d like to start such a collection, here are 5 good things to include:
- Good Italian reds. Not only will you never tire of drinking these popular picks, many tend to age very well and you can enjoy them long into the future.
- California Cabernets. A mixed case will serve you well, and most age well up to a decade.
- 2010 Bordeaux. Expect to shell out over $100 per bottle, but it’s worth it.
- Dessert wines. You can pass these on to your children for their enjoyment or for the enjoyment of their college fund, whichever makes the most sense! These sweet wines not only may age for decades, they also show you to be a cut above many casual collectors (ditto for Madeira).
- Vintage Champagne. You never know when you will have the occasion, right? Some worry about Champagne losing some of its carbonation over time, but bubbly keeps its bubbles for decades. It’s okay to go with Veuve if you don’t know much about Champagne.
Of course, these suggestions are in addition to the wines you just can’t part with because of the sentimental value. For example, perhaps you received a specially branded bottle as a party favour at your beloved nephew’s christening, and wish to keep it sealed for posterity forever. Good idea, since it might not be drinkable any longer!
Building your wine collection starts with storage
While many collectors don’t even think about storage until they simply have too many cases of wine in their basement, at Cable Wine Systems, we think about nothing but how to store your wines for the maximum benefit and effect. Whether your wine collection consists of 10 bottles or 10,000, the streamlined look and sophisticated nature of the Cable Wine Systems metal wine racking creates a stunning ‘floating’ display that is sure to captivate the awe and attention of anyone who sees it.
Obviously, you started out collecting wine because you love wine. Whether you plan to make new memories with your wine or evoke old ones, enjoy your collection to the fullest with luxury wine racking by Cable Wine Systems.