Cellertracker - do you or don't you?

I am sure for some people this is an old topic but I recently decided to log my cellar onto cellartracker, primarily because i was sick in bed (long story, ok now).

So I am curious to know what people think of the site:
1) do people use it?
2) who are 3 or 4 users worth following? I see Salil is there as is the infamous Serge.
3) how do people feel about the suggested drinking windows.

As a side note, I am also really surprised by how many people are opening their 2005 vintage bdx bottles and trying them this early. To a man, each of them is complaining about how closed the wines are. I just can't see the point in opening a really good wine this early in its lifespan unless the owner of the bottles has some form of rare and incurable disease. Are other people here opening and trying their 2nd-5th growths now?

Mark

[David M. Bueker]

I use CellarTracker and have done so for a number of years(I am user 565, so that goes a ways back). My CellarTracker handle is Rieslingfan. I love the program and annually support Eric's efforts with my wallet.

I ignore the suggested drinking windows as I ignore most of the tasting notes (though I follow certain people - will have to check the list later & get back to you on that). It's too "all over the map" for me to take it seriously.

As for opening Bordeaux 2005s now - that's one of the reasons I don't take the drinking windows/most of the tasting notes seriously.

I use cellartracker. I agree with David about the drinking windows.

Opening most of the 2005 Bordeaux at this stage is an act of near insanity. Only reasons to do those wines at this stage are:

(a) if you own 4 or more cases of the same and want to see how the wine is in its extreme youth and then follow it as it develops
(b) if you're 85 years of age or older and either cannot or do not want to leave the bottles to your children and/or grandchildren
(c) when invited to trade tastings

Best
Rogov

1) do people use it?

I've been using it for several years (I wasn't a super early user, but joined soon after Eric came up with a good Excel import - I had been using Access, but easy to Access to Excel, and then Excel to CT), and find it extremely useful. I use it more for the inventory purposes than for the notes, but I still find value in notes from those I "know" (either in person or from their online personae). It's useful sometimes to see what wines get on winebid. If you subscribe to a critic who takes part, it's convenient to see their notes without having to look up separately. I find it easier to search than my old Access (if I want to search for Rieslings I paid less than $20 for, 3 quick clicks). I happily renew each year (paying is optional, but Eric deserves it, and it opens lots of additional features up).
I don't actually post notes on CT on as many wines as here, I only post there on ones that were already in my database. I don't tend to enter bottles I plan on drinking within a few months of purchase, just those I'm cellaring.

2) who are 3 or 4 users worth following? I see Salil is there as is the infamous Serge.

Most of the folks starred as "favorite tasters" for me are people I drink with regularly and/or are familiar with their online notes. There are a couple of exceptions (Slaton, Brad L, Marty L ) where I just noticed that we seemed to drink a lot of the same wines and have similar reactions. I personally don't find notes from those I don't have a sense of being so valuable (of course, if there are 10 posts from different tasters with similar views, one might give some credence). But my preferences might well differ greatly from yours, so no suggestions.

3) how do people feel about the suggested drinking windows.

I find not so valuable, unless I overrode myself.

So I am curious to know what people think of the site:
1) do people use it?

Yes. How else do I know what I have and where it is, and looking back at what I've drunk is fascinating

2) who are 3 or 4 users worth following? I see Salil is there as is the infamous Serge.

No idea. I use it to log my cellar, I don't 'follow' anyone or even understand what it means

3) how do people feel about the suggested drinking windows.

Ignore them and wish they could be removed from my view. Most are nonsense

I haven't put my cellar into CT, as I have my own well-developed database, but I do use CT to look up others' notes. As everyone has already said, it's essential to know who's authored the note, but I tend to look for notes from the same folks I listen to on wine boards: Dale, Salil, slaton, Bill B, etc.

Mark Lipton

I'll be the odd one. I don't use Cellartracker. I don't have any inventory program. I don't really have any records whatsoever. I just buy wine and drink wine. I have about 200-300 bottles. I get a lot of pleasure looking through the racks chosing a bottle several times a week. I have an emotional resistance to making this activity organized, perhaps because other parts of my life are organized.

Glenn

I use it fairly often to look up notes on a particular wine I have purchased or am thinking about purchasing. I sent in a financial contribution last year and will do so again soon. Once I set up my home office I may use it to inventory my wines but have not posted much on that site. I respect notes from Richard Jennings, kdawg, kstoddard and some others who post on Burgundies. I don't remember the other pseudonymns now but recognize some posters as I come across them in a wine I'm looking up.

I have a DB that suits my needs just fine so I have not used Cellertracker.

I joined bottlecount before I had noticed Cellartracker, and have never switched. I do like to read the notes just to get an idea about some peoples' experience with a wine I am considering drinking.

I also "like" tight Bordeaux, so I have drunk a few 2004s and 2002s and 2000s. Mea culpa.

I'll be the odd one. I don't use Cellartracker. I don't have any inventory program. I don't really have any records whatsoever. I just buy wine and drink wine. I have about 200-300 bottles.

Me too. But I barely have 100 bottles. I think it gets a lot more complicated for folks who have thousands of bottles.

After reading posts from others whom I respect on this forum, I too, am a Cellartracker user. My intent is to not lose track of any bottles, as I used to do once in a while. As to the drinking windows, if they don't agree with other sources or my own experience, I barely pay attention to them. I really like knowing I can access my cellar any time from any PC.

Yes, I love CT, now that I was on it. I always wanted to do it but just kept on waiting cuz I was lazy and the bottle count kept rising..... So one day (actually over two weeks...), I did the deed and got all my stuff on.

Bordeaux 2005, I agree, infanticide but we have opened some up just cuz

(1) curious
(2) not really that smart here....
(3) needed confirmation as to all the fuss and to see if it fit my palate.
(4) not really that smart here.....

etc,

I don't use cellartracker, only have about 600 bottles and am drinking my cellar down, only adding whites for current drinking..Have not opened any 2005 bordeaux as yet and no immediate plans to do so..

I'll be the odd one. I don't use Cellartracker. I don't have any inventory program. I don't really have any records whatsoever. I just buy wine and drink wine. I have about 200-300 bottles.

Me too. But I barely have 100 bottles. I think it gets a lot more complicated for folks who have thousands of bottles.

+1. About 400 bottles and no problems. I stopped recording tasting notes probably a decade ago. Found that for the most part I enjoy the wine more when not trying to capture it in tasting notes.

[Jenise]

Not yet, but in the free time I'm supposed to have some day, I absolutely plan to.

Not yet, but in the free time I'm supposed to have some day, I absolutely plan to.

Your notes on CT would be invaluable.. I promise to make you my `buddy' right away, good buddy...

I use it, for tasting notes, inventory, setting drinking windows and just recently, noting where I bought stuff.

I do read other's notes, but a pinch of salt may be required at times.

Drinking windows... as I said, I set them for my own wines, indeed I'll even do this where the community average is pretty much the same. All it needs is some muppet saying Sierra Carche will improve over 30 years and the average shifts from a sensible drink (or at least dispose of) now, to something silly.

Where I don't know a wine at all, plus have no experienced opinion to lean on for suitable drinking dates, then yes I'll pay some attention to what's been input. The salt shaker comes out again of course, but if I have no idea, I figure that the downside of considering someone else's opinion isn't too bad.

As for tasters 'to follow', I've not gone down that route yet, but note that some poor misguided fools have marked my notes down as 'of interest'. That includes people like Otto who really should know better than to expect sense from my TNs

Perhaps the best taster to follow though is Eastover. Eric Le Vine is threatening to write a little utility to shift their notes from public to private notes, so grab a sample while you can. They're always clear, accurate and informative notes, with only one small catch...

regards

Ian

I'll be the odd one. I don't use Cellartracker. I don't have any inventory program. I don't really have any records whatsoever. I just buy wine and drink wine. I have about 200-300 bottles.

Me too. But I barely have 100 bottles. I think it gets a lot more complicated for folks who have thousands of bottles.

+1. About 400 bottles and no problems. I stopped recording tasting notes probably a decade ago. Found that for the most part I enjoy the wine more when not trying to capture it in tasting notes.

I am so pleased to find out there are other slackers like me. I too find I enjoy my wine much more when I am not trying to analyze it.

Glenn

I'll be the odd one. I don't use Cellartracker. I don't have any inventory program. I don't really have any records whatsoever. I just buy wine and drink wine. I have about 200-300 bottles. I get a lot of pleasure looking through the racks chosing a bottle several times a week. I have an emotional resistance to making this activity organized, perhaps because other parts of my life are organized.

Glenn

I also made a conscious decision to not use any electronic devices or means to record my inventory. I work in electronic medium all day long and wanted my wine experience to be non-electronic. I have a simple paper log book that I record the basics (producer, region, vintage, price, score) using a ink writing instrument. I only went to the log book because I kept buying wine I already had (I never want to buy the same bottle twice, no matter how much I liked it). I also like to review the wine log because it evokes taste memories of wine I drank.

I use CellarTracker and have done so for a number of years(I am user 565, so that goes a ways back). My CellarTracker handle is Rieslingfan. I love the program and annually support Eric's efforts with my wallet.

I had a strong suspicion you were Rieslingfan.

I also made a conscious decision to not use any electronic devices or means to record my inventory.

I respect that approach (and the reasoning with it!). We'll keep quiet about you posting on an electronic wine forum though

regards

Ian

I stopped recording tasting notes probably a decade ago. Found that for the most part I enjoy the wine more when not trying to capture it in tasting notes.

I am so pleased to find out there are other slackers like me. I too find I enjoy my wine much more when I am not trying to analyze it.

Glenn

Glenn, I am please to see there are others out there who find recording tasting notes detracts a little from the overall experience. There are clearly people who are superb at this facet of life and for that I am extremely thankfully but I have found recently I get more enjoyment not doing so. Over the past 18 months I tried to record more but sadly these efforts dropped away. I would however like to at least get back to the point where I keep a record of what I have drank and some a few observations.

It is a whole different discussion but someone on one of the Aus forum recently opened the whole pandora's box by asking what made a good tasting note. For me, Michael Broadbent at Decanter has alway been one of my favourite commentators because he can capture the essence of a wine in a few words nothwithstanding that age has made him just a little pompous in the last few years towards New World wine. I did share the Overnoy post which brought forth a variety of responses from the PC and non PC camps.

Mark