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