Envy Man Magazine Online

For the longest time my friend’s wine collection consisted of the few bottles he picked up from the sad selection at the grocery store or the occasional holiday gift bottle from the neighborhood realtor. The means of storing them was the way-too-cold fridge or the cheesy wine rack he got from his Secret Santa last Christmas. As a good friend should, I opted to give the guy a lesson in Starting your Wine Cellar: 101. For the up-and-coming wine collector, starting your soon-to-be precious portfolio can be harder than you think. With all the different varietals, brands, regions, and styles of wine, not to mention the many challenges that come with figuring out how to properly store your bottles, it can be overwhelming even for the connoisseur.

The first thing on the long list of “to do’s” is to figure out what your budget is. You don’t have to have an everlasting supply of money to start a solid collection. In fact, I recommend starting light while you figure out what your likes and dislikes are. Blowing your budget on some 90 pt. Cabernet Sauvignon and then realizing you hate Cab or you’re not ready for it is not the way to begin. Start small and work your way up.

How you store your wine is just as important as what wine you pick. Depending on where you live, the weather conditions play a huge factor. You can have a $100 bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet but without proper storage you will have made your very own $100 grape vinegar. With so many factors going into buying your storage unit, the first thing is to see how much space you can afford to give up for a temperature controlled unit. Living in San Francisco, unused apartment or condo space is just as rare as parking spots or an empty taxi cab. For this problem I recommend looking for the space-efficient and budget-friendly 12-bottle mini vault. Pek Vino Vault makes a 12- bottle unit with room for two open bottles to save for later with a temperature range of 45F to 60F. It comes with two custom stoppers and a built-in Argon gas preservation system. The sleek chrome exterior is eye pleasing enough to have on the kitchen counter and it’s small enough to fit snug next to your favorite coat in the closet. This model runs about $299.99 and similar models can run up to $1,000. Larger units can hold from 250 to 500 bottles and range from $2,000 to $8,000 and higher depending on how custom you want it.

Next on the list is everyone’s favorite part, the wine. Now that we have our means of storage we should start with the easiest wine to get to know. White wine sometimes gets a bad rap when it comes to the status and rank. White wine is frequently viewed as the weak sister to red wine or as a wine that is mostly consumed by women. This is a huge misconception. White wine is most likely the first wine people try and is definitely the gateway to the wine world. The essential whites for a cellar-on-the-rise is a Sparkling Wine and Sauvignon Blanc. They act almost as an amuse-bouche and/or appetizer for the palate. The bubbles and usually fruity light texture of the Sparkler awakens the palate and is not too overwhelming for the novice drinker. Just the popping sound of the cork coming off the bottle can get anyone involved. Segura Viudas “Aria” Brut Cava out of Spain is a great inexpensive Sparkler to start with. It has light pear and honey flavors that are very pleasant on the tongue. A more upscale and complex Sparkler that has floral notes and is more complex is Piper-Heidsieck Cuvee Brut Champagne from France. Sauvignon Blanc is a great beginner wine because it has many familiar qualities and flavors most people are used to tasting and smelling. Citrus, floral, and even some tropical notes are the most common and can be related to things we eat, drink, and even use on our hair and body on a regular basis. A world renowned California based winery that has been making Sauvignon Blanc since 1996 is Mason Cellars. This Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect wine for even the expert wine drinker and should be a staple in every cellar. As your wine experience grows and your palate develops, heavier and more exotic varietals can be introduced into your cellar reflecting your own personal tastes. Chardonnay, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer are some heavier and sweeter wines to add as time goes by.

Now on to the dark side. When it comes to red wine, just like white, you should start light. If you have a red that is too robust or tannic it can make your first impression an unfavorable one and it’s very hard to trust another for awhile. A nice full, but low tannic Merlot from California such as the 2004 Pine Ridge “Crimson Creek” or a fruity 2004 Carmenere “Barrel Select” from the Santa Ema Winery out of Chile are two wines that are good everyday drinking wines that can be enjoyed by every level of wine drinker. Moving on down the line we have now come to the heavy juice. When choosing heavier wines I like to get a range of wines to compare and really see what you like and dislike. Most full-bodied wines such as Bordeaux Blends, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon are going to be more expensive but higher in quality. Start with a few inexpensive choices and move toward the style you are most drawn to. I find a good full and well- balanced Cabernet Sauvignon is the 2004 “ARTEMIS” from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Good chocolate, cassis and clove notes are strong but even tannins. When it comes to Pinot Noir, the Willamette Valley in Oregon has some of the best in the world. J. K. Carriere

Wine Vault

With only a few spots left in the cellar, one spot has to go to a beautiful thing called dessert wine. Every cellar, whether beginner or connoisseur, has at least one bottle of dessert wine. Dessert wines tend to be extremely sweet and very high in alcohol content. It’s the perfect alternative ending to any great meal. Bouchaine winery out of Southern Napa in the Carneros region produces a 2005 late harvest wine called Bouche d’Or “Taste of Gold”. It refers to the gold amber color and essence of apricot flavors. For a heavier after-dinner beverage try Taylor’s Port 10 year Tawny. With 10 years in oak, the rich wood and dark fruit makes this port an essential last piece in any cellar.

The evolution of your cellar will be a long, fun, and sometimes expensive process. As your wine experiences happen and you start to educate your palate, the wine choices you make will get more sophisticated. These experiences should not be rushed, for over time you will find your individual taste and know that the patience you have spent learning was priceless.