Selection and economy - how do you do it?

I have been into wine for about ten years. I started off with interest in Sauternes, sweet whites. I did not have any friends to drink with, so I bought some bottles to lay down. Some years later I caught interest in Northern Rhone, and I bought some Hermitage, Côte Rotie and Crozes-Hermitage bottles. Most of the wines where young and needed time, so they are still mostly untouched. Some years later I unfortunately tasted some good red Burgundy, and I spend some $$$ on Vosne, Chambolle, Gevrey, Morey and even four bottles of Grand Cru. Some time later I was so unlucky to atend good and informative tastings of Alsace, Mosel and Piemonte. Ah.. lovely halfdry Riesling with kickass acidity! And truffely Nebbiolo! And even more $$ left my pockets.. In between I even managed to scrap up some dimes for some Port, a bottle of Oloroso and a Champagne!

I was looking at my cellar sheet, and thought it would be nice to have more than 1-3 bottles of each wine and also try to have some wines in many succesive vintages. But man, that costs! Just buying 6 bottles of a decent Chablis 1. cru every year, would cost me 1380 NOK or $238. But I am also interested in Mosel Riesling, red Burgundy, Savenniere, sweet Chenin, Tokaji Aszu, Hermitage! And Barbaresco! Barbaresco is so good too. Argh!

How do you other wine geeks do it? Are you part time criminals or du you manage to focus on a more narrow wine field?

How do you other wine geeks do it? Are you part time criminals or du you manage to focus on a more narrow wine field?

Over many years, I have bought what I could afford at that time; sometimes it has been a case of Chateau Margaux; more often its been a case of Soave. In most imstances, I taste first before I buy (and I don't mean just a sip at some tasting; I mean take a bottle home and have it with dinner during the course of the evening).
These days I have a nice core cellar of wines that need aging and a fairly nice rack of wines that don't.
I always try to buy at least 6 of whatever I'm buying although I prefer 12.
Having that quantity in mind sets limits on what I can buy because I am not wealthy. I have my moments when I can afford more than at other times, but mainly the wines I buy, to drink or to cellar, are $25 and under.
There are so many exceptional wines in that range.
Best, Jim

As well as the cost, as big (if not bigger for us) is the limiting factor of how much we drink. Although our intake has risen since we've both been working from home, we've probably worked up to ~ at most 3 bottles a week between 2 of us (from little more than a bottle a week when on the road).

even buying frequently in 1's, 2's and 3's, the cellar size grows and I'm still grabbed by the opinion that so little of it is ready!

I'm through worrying though. We have a modest (in wine geek terms) stash (massive to non-wine geeks mind ), with some really good stuff. The variety is great and although there's probably too few 'quaffers' in there, the flip side can be some great mid-week wines.

In terms of style balance, there are safe ground favourites mixed in with new adventures (chianti at the moment via some auction purchases). Having specific expertise is useful around auctions, especially if that expertise isn't in the mainstream/big names.

I'm sure the balance works itself out over time and I guess the key trick is not to completely focus on one style. That and remembering that you can say no, even when it's a bargain!

I make most of the wine I drink, thus only costing between $1 to $3 per bottle. However, I do buys wines to keep myself honest. However, making wine from locally grown grapes in Noway might present a problem.

Well, I buy a lot of singles which allows me to sample a wide range of regions and styles. Even when I buy mutiples, it is usually only 3 bottles. Six is rare.

I tend to avoid trophies since most of them are above my price ceiling. Certainly I like QPRs as much as anyone, but I learned to stick to 3 or 4 of the value wines as well; there are so many good wines I haven't tried yet.

It doesn't hurt to keep a lid on the collector-gene: verticals and horizontals can fill up a cellar very quickly. Finally, the reality of my advancing years has helped quite a bit. Do I really need '03 Ports? Am I more likely to open village wines or GCs from '05 Burgundy?

Most importantly, stay away from wine boards. Someone is always posting on a wine you just have to try.

Just keep on driving those big SUVs over there and we can soon make wine in Norway as well.

Most importantly, stay away from wine boards. Someone is always posting on a wine you just have to try.

Hmm.. you say something. How do I get kicked out? [/i]

There are a lot great values right now coming out of Southern Europe and the Southern Hemisphere. Spain in general, the South of France, Central and Southern Italy, and Greece in Europe. A lot of Oz, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa, are just some of the SH.

How do you other wine geeks do it? Are you part time criminals or du you manage to focus on a more narrow wine field?

The biggest problem is that you have expensive tastes, Håvard! If you were a big fan of Müller-Thurgau or "Apricot Merlot" you'd have no problems at all. I'm in a similar boat, having developed a love of Zinfandel, Bordeaux, red Burgundy, Chablis, Chenin, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, N. and S. Rhone and NZ Sauvignon Blanc and being of relatively modest means. Luckily, I got into wine over 25 years ago, so I've managed to accumulate quite a few older bottles that didn't cost a lot when purchased and which taste divine now. The other strategy I now employ is to actively scout out new, low cost alternatives while also focusing on the few producers I really love. In part, I've been helped by the stylistic shifts and rampant price increases in CA and Bordeaux that have drastically reduced my purchases from those places. At the same time I've found that Muscadet can scratch the same itch that Chablis does and that there are quite a few excellent QbA Rieslings being made nowadays. I also now seek out smaller, independent-minded producers who make wines to my taste and who don't get the recognition they so clearly deserve: Steve Edmunds in CA, Eric Texier and Alan Graillot in the N. Rhone are several examples.

Good luck!
Mark Lipton

The other strategy I now employ is to actively scout out new, low cost alternatives while also focusing on the few producers I really love.

I pretty well echo Marks words. Stick to the wines you know but be a regular visitor to the tasting bar at your local store. Many new producers to fall in love with, following this method.

[quote="Florida Jim but mainly the wines I buy, to drink or to cellar, are $25 and under.
There are so many exceptional wines in that range.
Best, Jim[/quote]

I am encouraged to hear this. There are soooooooo many wines out there I would like to try and the resources to get them are sooooooo limited. If I can pick up great wines for under $25 here and there to lay down while sticking to the under $10 range for every day, I may have some hope of building a collection.