New projects take centre stage this season and the unloved dark corners of your house might be under scrutiny …
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Have you ever dreamed of owning your own wine cellar? Having a wine cellar, even if it is not a traditional cellar in the strictest (underground) cellar takes significant investment in time, space and money. But this could be just the time to give that cool understairs cupboard a change of use.
Before you even start thinking of buying wines, it is important to define your goals. What are you expecting from your wine cellar? Are you planning to store wines for the short to medium term or are you hoping to age these wines over a longer period of time – perhaps ten years or more? Will you enjoy these wines yourself, with friends and family, or are you planning to resell them to make a profit? Clarity around your goals will give you a starting point for what wines you should start buying.
Age-ability is a consideration. Some wine styles for example, light, fruit forward and deliciously uncomplicated wines, are best enjoyed in the first one to three years of their life. A bright vibrant character is what we drink these wines for. On the other hand, wines with greater structure, density, concentration and, most importantly, complexity, are often quite closed in their early years. These wines have a longer, more gradual arc of improvement. Deterioration, after peaking, happens at different rates. More complex wines with greater ageing potential will typically cost more. You will often see the wines intended to be enjoyed during their youthful stage closed with screw caps which preserve their bright vibrant aromas brilliantly. As oxygen plays an important role in the ageing of complex wines, the more porous cork is used. A good collection has a place for all styles. Just make sure you are enjoying them at their best.
“Taste evolves with time and what you like today might differ to what you will like in ten years.”
Sudden temperature variations are wine’s worst enemy. Twelve to 14 degrees, or as close as you can achieve, is ideal. When it comes to humidity, 60 to 80 per cent is ideal, but avoiding areas that promote drying will protect the corks and limit oxidation. UV rays can damage wine flavours so keep light to a minimum. Good airflow reduces the risk of mould and odours that can contaminate your investment. Limiting movement and vibration also supports good maturation of a wine.
Traditional underground cellars enjoy all these conditions; bear in mind that as warmer air rises, the coolest part of a cellar is around the bottom shelves. Wines for long maturation should be kept there to ensure slow and steady development. Very few have the luxury of having these underground cellars, so we replicate them as best we can. Alternatively, a good quality wine fridge may be worth considering.
To ensure that your collection is balanced, I suggest organising it by “readiness to drink”. One third or so perhaps for early consumption (one to three years), one third for the medium term (five to ten years) and one third for longer maturation. My advice would also be to buy regularly, in small quantities, say three to six bottles, to make sure that you have a good stock rotation within your selection. Some prefer to buy more of what they know they like. Others like to experiment and discover. Have fun and do what works for you.
There are various ways to organise a cellar. In the early days, organising by white, red and others is sufficient but as your collection grows you may want to consider sub-categories such as countries, regions, grape varieties or age. Taking time to do a full stocktake at least once a year is a good idea – you will be surprised how easy it is to forget what wine is hiding in the darkest part of your cellar. Take time to taste and enjoy the wines that you buy. As you do so, take notes, writing down your thoughts and impressions. Sometimes, a wine has more potential for ageing but you might prefer it at an earlier stage of its life so it is important to keep track of your tastings to decide when and with whom to drink future bottles. You might not have originally bought the wine as an investment, but it is still worth keeping an eye on market price – you never know, some of your bottles could gain in value and give you the opportunity to sell them for a lot more than you purchased them originally. Certain producers and trends will also play a role in commanding higher prices.
Try to remain opened-minded about all the wines you come across as you taste and discover. Building a wine collection is an exciting personal journey. Every bottle has the potential to be at the heart of a memorable moment with someone special. And sometimes the opening of a special bottle is the special occasion. @julie_dupouy
STOCK UP ON THESE BOTTLES

Saint Véran En Crèches, Famille Paquet, Burgundy, France, €44; www.siyps.com.

Riesling Berg, Melanie Pfister, Alsace, France, €34; www.8wines.com.

Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc, IGP Saint-Guilhemle- Désert, France, €62; www.sheridanscheesemongers.com.

Te Mata Awa Tea, Cabernet/Merlot, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, €37; www.clontarfwines.ie.

Alanda Red, Quinta da Muradella, Monterrei DO, Spain, €46; www.greenmanwines.ie.

Barbera d’Alba Tre Vie, Vietti, Piemonte, Italy, €30; www.whelehanswines.ie.
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