| Does the phrase "wine collector" conjure up | | | | 1. Experiment with less familiar grape |
| an image of a millionaire living in a large | | | | varieties for bargains. Take the road less |
| home with a temperature-controlled room | | | | traveled and try wines you have never heard |
| dedicated to holding fine wines? | | | | of. For example, the low-priced premier red |
| | | | of Portugal, called Bairrada, or South |
| It shouldn't. If you buy wine, you are a | | | | Africa's Pinotage might be unfamiliar, but |
| wine collector. | | | | they often deliver as good a quality and |
| | | | taste as the more expensive wines of |
| First off, you don't have to have a special | | | | California or Australia. |
| room dedicated to storing your wine. As long | | | | |
| as you keep your stash in a quiet, dark, | | | | 2. Find understudies for your favorite wines |
| coolish place where bottles can lay on their | | | | and you can save 20% to 30%. For example, |
| sides, you have a wine cellar. It could be | | | | when you need a stand in for Chardonnay, try |
| under the bed, on the closet floor, in a | | | | Spain's top white, Albarino, or let Malbec |
| refrigerated cooler, or in a basement room. | | | | from Argentina go on stage, and give Cabernet |
| | | | the night off. |
| Secondly, you don't have to be rich to stock | | | | |
| your "cellar" with fine wines; you just have | | | | 3. Buy the "next door neighbor." Seek out |
| to be smart. The operative concept is taste | | | | wines from up-and-coming areas adjacent to |
| the wines and decide for your self. Doing | | | | famous vineyards and save a bundle. These |
| your own tasting "homework" is an essential | | | | well-made wines are easy on the wallet and |
| part of accumulating a wine cellar that you | | | | offer real value. So start tasting |
| will enjoy. | | | | Merlot-based blends - not from pricey St |
| | | | Emilion and Pomerol - but from their |
| Be aware that higher price does not | | | | neighboring areas. |
| necessarily mean the wine is better or that | | | | |
| you will like it more than a less expensive | | | | 4. Sniff out the "wanna-bees." Megastar Tom |
| wine. I live by the motto, "if you can't | | | | Cruise went from being paid $75,000 as a |
| taste the difference, don't pay the | | | | wanna-be to getting $75 million for his three |
| difference." | | | | "Mission Impossibles." Your mission, if you |
| | | | accept it, is to find those budding megastar |
| In general, you will stock your cellar with | | | | wines before they become famous and |
| three categories of wine. First are the table | | | | unaffordable. For example, a bottle of Elyse |
| wines you drink within the first 12 to 24 | | | | Cabernet, sold for just $14.50 in 2000, and |
| months, before they lose their youthful | | | | is now at $56 and climbing. |
| fruitiness. These are your favorite everyday | | | | |
| wines for under $15 a bottle. A whopping 90% | | | | 5. Ask specifically for "second labels" of |
| of the wines produced in the world fall into | | | | famous red wines from Bordeaux and Cabernet |
| this category! | | | | and Bordeaux-like blends from California. |
| | | | These are premium wines made from grapes that |
| Next are the mid-priced wines that can be | | | | just weren't quite good enough to go into the |
| drunk now, but will benefit from time in | | | | top brand, but they are dead ringers for |
| bottle. These are special occasion wines | | | | their more privileged cousins -- only they're |
| costing $15 to $25 a bottle. Keep them for | | | | about one-third the price. |
| about five years and they will have slightly | | | | |
| more varied aromas and flavors. These | | | | 6. Buy famous wines in poor vintages. |
| reflect 9% of all the wines in the world. | | | | World-class wine producers have to ruthlessly |
| | | | cull out poor grapes in off vintages to make |
| And the last 1% of your stock is reserved for | | | | excellent wines. Still yet, off vintages are |
| rare wines. It's not for everyone, but | | | | priced lower than wines from an ideal growing |
| collecting some special vintage year bottles | | | | season. Their loss is your gain. |
| -- the age worthy ones that only get better | | | | |
| with age -- can be a fine investment. | | | | Remember, you can be a wine collector and not |
| | | | have to pay a lot for the pleasure. Follow |
| Here are six strategies to use so you don't | | | | the 6 strategies provided and they will give |
| have to empty your wallet in order to fill up | | | | you affordable drinking now, and in the years |
| your cellar with your favorite wines. | | | | ahead. |
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