Starting A Wine Cellar

Perhaps you’ve enjoyed a bottle of wine from time to time, and would like to know more. What was that bottle you really liked, and how do you find more like it? Does good wine really have to be so expensive? When is wine ready to drink, anyway? If you’ve had these thoughts, it may be time to think about starting a wine cellar. “Now wait a minute,” you may say. “I like a bottle of wine, but I’m not going to spend thousands of dollars to do it!” Absolutely right. Let’s consider wine cellars for people beginning to appreciate wine. What do you need, what wines should you start with, and how much will it cost? Wine cellars in France are exactly that, a place in the cellar (or the cave), where wine is stored for aging. The temperature is usually mid-fifties Fahrenheit, and there has to be sufficient humidity to keep the corks moist, particularly with an air conditioned room. Otherwise too much air could seep in and spoil the wine. There shouldn’t be much light, and there should be a minimum of vibration. The wines are there to develop and sleep until they are wanted. If you have a cellar at home, as I do, then watch any temperature extremes. You may be able to get by with some racks, or just try stacking the wines in cases. I added a lighting dimmer, and a portable humidifier, and voila! – a wine cellar that has served me well, for years. You may want to buy one of those refrigerated units that the wine magazines advertise. If so, don’t pick the most expensive model. Why have a wine cellar at all? For the same reason that you may prefer the best beef to hamburger, or a fine salmon to canned tuna. Even more so, since in a way you’ll be “raising” your own wine. Let me describe the end result. Two weeks ago, we enjoyed a 1985 Chateau Figeac, a St. Emilion grand cru. Perfectly aged, it was like velvet. Last Sunday, we had a 1983 Certan Giraud, a superb Pomerol that is not as well known as its neighbors, the pricier Vieux Chateau Certan, and Certan de May. It too was memorable. I looked up my notes, and found I’d bought them years ago for $15 – $20 each. If they could be found at all today, they would cost much more, perhaps $100 and $50, IF you could find them at all. I’ll add another note. From my tasting, each of the two wines was drinking perfectly. Not ten years ago. Right now. And they were in my cellar to enjoy. That puts a premium on timing, and putting down wines you’ll enjoy for the future. It sure beats buying wines for immediate drinking, that may or may not be ready now. Let me pass on a tip from my late friend Alexis Lichine, the master of wines and tasting them. He said that it was a good plan to buy three bottles of a wine that you like, the same wine and producer and vintage year. Then drink one, and make some notes. Six months later, open the second bottle. Without referring to your earlier notes, make new ones. Then a year later, open the third. Repeat the note taking. Then read your three notes. You’ll know more about wine, how it develops, and your own taste preferences than any point chart could ever tell you. So with a tip of the hat to Lichine, I suggest a “rule of three” in stocking a wine cellar. Sure, there will always be unique bottles. But it’s more fun to compare your wine as it matures. I always buy wine for laying down in threes for that reason. Which wines should you buy? Take a look at other Bonjour Paris Food and Wine columns for ideas. Basically, it is up to you. I’d suggest a mix of white and red wines, and a mix of sizes, most regular sized bottles, but a few magnums, which are double that size. You’ll find magnums age more slowly and, many would say, more evenly. Also, serving a magnum at a dinner party makes it much more special and festive. Try some Chablis, perhaps a first growth from a good year. Have some Champagne, both good domestic and some French, nonvintage to start. I’d also suggest a few good bottles of Chardonnay, California or Washington State, and some basic white Burgundy from a good producer. You’ll find the basic white Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes has a quite different aroma and taste. For red wines, that’s also up to you. Don’t forget your everyday enjoyment, with some good Italian wines, Chianti, and perhaps for special occasions a bottle of vintage Barolo. You should have some California cabernets, and several French wines, from Bordeaux and Burgundy. Your wine retailer can make some suggestions. How much will all of this cost? It could cost a mint. In another column I’ll make specific suggestions, for cellars at certain costs, say $500 or $1,000. But, you can get started with excellent wines for around $250. The reward will be when you start drinking wine that you have aged in your own cellar. “Why, when I put this bottle down, it hadn’t developed nearly so well!” you’ll say. And you’ll enjoy sharing a bottle that would cost five times what you paid for it. That’s when a wine cellar starts to pay for itself, in dollar costs and drinking pleasure. If you enjoyed this article, you’ll love our ongoing discussion of French Food and Wine! Bill Shepard learned to love the wines of France when he served as Consul General there. Copyright (c) 2000 Paris New Media, L.L.C.