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