Building your own wine collection is an unrivaled experience but also a never-ending process of trial and error. It’s not the same as collecting art pieces, with wines it is more like a leap into the unknown. Not every time, of course, but very often. Wine, however, is arguably one of the most popular alcoholic beverages across the globe, and more and more people decide to plunge into the wonderful world full of unique tastes and aromas.
The good news is you do not have to be a millionaire in order to build a wine collection but, quite understandably, certain knowledge is required, so as a little help of lady luck. If you are ready to embark on the most exciting journey of your life, check out the basics of building your wine collection from scratch we share below.
Determine Your Goals
The very first thing you have to do is to set your goals and determine the priorities. Ask yourself what is your main reason to start a collection. Are you plotting to invest money and make some profit? Or do you just want to assemble a diverse selection of bottles to have the perfect fit for every occasion? Your goals make a big difference and once you set them, you will be able to develop a proper strategy able to help you hit the sweet spot. And believe us, you will need a good plan to cover every aspect of your new hobby or business, from the list of auctions you might want to attend to close monitoring of the developments in the fine wine market.
Set A Budget
Just like with all other things in our life, it is of utmost importance to decide on the amount of money you are ready to invest at the outset. It doesn’t matter whether you will set aside for this purpose $10,000 or $1,000, make sure to spend them wisely. What are we trying to say is that investing all of your wine funds into a single bottle is not a good idea. The general advice is to focus on a range of wines that cost between $200 and $2,000, meaning that even with a $1,000 budget you can start with five bottles of age-worthy wines, which is an excellent foundation for a newbie.
Experienced collectors also recommend trying wine before ordering several bottles. By the way, if you worry about the destiny of an uncorked bottle in the case it’s not consumed immediately, consider taking a close look at this dispenser that preserves wine for at least 30 days. The special technology guarantees no alternation of the organoleptic elements of the wine such as taste, flavor, aroma, body, consistency, and color. That means you do not have to rush to conclusions and can take your time to decide on whether you want a certain variety or not.
Decide On A Storage
Chances are you have a fancy wine fridge but we have to disappoint you – it is not a proper place to store your wine long-term because such fridges are not designed to facilitate conditions that let age-worthy wines reach their full potential. You have two options: invest in a home cellar or take advantage of professional full-service storage. If you have a proper space at your house, your own cellar is a better solution in the long run but professional service also has its virtues.
Opt For Collectible Wines
Collectibility is a very broad term, mainly because it is pretty much a matter of personal view. Anyway, it is safe to say collectible wines are those that have the following characteristics: top scores from critics, a great quality-to-price ratio, aging potential, and are available for purchase by the case and in bulk. Last but not least, such wine has to suit your personal taste and preferences. Since not many collectible wines have all the aforementioned elements, you will have to learn, research, and do your due diligence to figure out the perfect match for your collection.
Keep Track Of Each Bottle
Well, keeping track of your wine would certainly be a piece of cake at the very start, but it can become a huge problem later on. If you do not want to miss the peak of a certain bottle, keep accurate records about every bottle from the very moment you add it to your collection.
Building a wine collection is a lot of fun, all the more so, nowadays you have tons of resources just at your fingertips. Use them wisely and remember that your taste does matter.