Wine collection. Wine collection - how to create? How to choose collection wine

Collection wines are drinks for true connoisseurs. After all, you must admit, not everyone can understand by taste when the wine was made (what year the berries were harvested) and in what area. Most will simply note the incredible taste and aroma of the wine. However, it is very easy to get used to the exquisite taste, and once you try this drink, you will want more.

General classification of wines

In order to understand what collection wines are, you should generally understand their existing classification. Surely everyone knows that this drink is made by fermenting squeezed grape juice with or without the addition of pulp. The berries for this drink are chosen from one variety or several, depending on the method of making the wine.

So, if we talk about the quality and aging time of this alcoholic drink, then there is the following classification:

1. These are considered to be those that were sold before the first of January of the year following the harvest for it.
2. Wines without aging. Wines become such if they were sold from the first of January.
3. Aged wines. Before being bottled, they must be aged for at least six to eighteen months or even more.
4. Vintage wines. Only high-quality aged wines can receive this designation. They also include such types of alcoholic beverage as controlled denominations of origin. These wines are produced in strictly defined areas, using special grape varieties. They also have a name that is prohibited from being used in other areas.
5. Collection wines. This is a special type of alcoholic drink. Such wines are aged using standard technology, then bottled, and in them they must last at least three years. But most often it takes much longer.

As you can see, collection wines are characterized by long aging, after which the wine acquires a special delicate taste. It is no coincidence that such drinks are in great demand, although they are much more expensive than simple wines. If you decide to purchase a vintage collection wine, it will be much tastier and more valuable. Such drinks are distinguished by their characteristic recognition and aging time in the bottle.

How to drink elite wines

It is no coincidence that they say that collection wines can only be understood by those who understand them. They are the ones who know how to drink such exquisite drinks. Here are some tips:

1. Before bottling, the wine must have an optimal temperature (for example, for red wines it is 16-18 degrees). This is the only way you can feel the real taste of this drink.
2. Also, before pouring the wine into a glass, let it breathe for a few minutes after opening the bottle. By reacting with oxygen, the alcoholic drink will reveal its aroma.
3. Choose the right glassware for wine. The glass should be wide, but narrow slightly towards the top, then the aroma of the drink will accumulate in it and you will fully feel its bouquet. Do not pour a full glass, otherwise the wonderful smell will simply have nowhere to collect, and you will lose it.
4. Another important recommendation is the advice not to unseal the bottle immediately after carrying it. The longer you carry it and shake it, the more time it takes to settle and rest.

The most famous brand of Crimean wines is “Massandra”

Perhaps the most famous collection Crimean wines are those from Massandra. It is here that the oldest and largest enoteca is located, the history of which dates back to the beginning of the 9th century. The beginning is connected with who first began the industrial production of Crimean wines. This work was then continued by the count's son, and also very successfully.

Further, since 1891, Prince Golitsyn made a huge contribution to the development of winemaking in Crimea. He not only planted new vineyards, but also a unique collection of wines, which were selected from the best representatives from all over Europe. It included about thirty-two thousand bottles.

Of course, the collection survived both difficult days during the war and anti-alcohol campaigns on the orders of management, but today it is considered one of the best in the world.

Massandra wine collection

Now let’s take a closer look at what unique collectibles the Massandra winery contains. Today you can find at least eight hundred types of wines there. If you count all the bottles, it will be at least a million. Of course, this is not one room, but ten galleries.

The pearl of the Massandra collection can be considered the wine from the 1775 harvest. This is Jerez de la Frontera. As you can see, it is quite ancient, but has not at all lost its truly unique qualities. This is probably why in 2001 it was sold at auction for fifty thousand dollars.

Also in this collection you can find the following rarities:

• white nutmeg "Massandra" harvested in 1896;
• red port “Massandra” vintage 1893;
• "Tokai Ai-Danil" vintage 1906.

Of course, this is not the entire list of collectible and unique wines that this wine company can boast of. Larger quantities can be found in various stores that stock these products.

Tokaj wines

Very often, a collection of collection wines includes Tokay, because it truly has its own special exquisite taste. Only in this area are unique natural conditions that exist nowhere else. Many vineyard owners would like to create similar wine at home, but grapes from the Tokaj valleys have never produced such stunning berries as they do at home.

Tokaj wine gained worldwide fame by 1150. By 1606, drinking this drink had become fashionable. For example, regular supplies of Tokay were provided to the royal table of Peter the Great in Russia. It really was in great demand, not only among the royal families, but also among the less noble strata of the population.

So, what's so special about this wine? The area where the vineyards are located has special natural conditions that cannot be found anywhere else. During the ripening period of the harvest, in autumn, it rains very often. This entails a change in the grapes - they are affected by a special mold that does not harm people. After the rains there follows a fairly long period filled with sunny days. At this time, the berries begin to raisinize right on the branches. Wine is then made from them, which has a unique taste and aroma.

Essence wine is considered the most difficult to produce, and therefore more expensive. It sometimes takes decades to prepare it. This is exactly the time needed for its fermentation. This is due to the fact that this alcoholic drink is made from pure raisins; naturally, much less juice is obtained than from fresh grapes. It is believed that due to its composition, this wine can last much longer than other similar drinks.

The most famous expensive wines

Now let's look at a small list in the world:

1. Heidsieck&Co. Monopole Champagne. This wine from the 1907 harvest was valued by experts at $275 thousand. Obviously, this happened due to the special conditions of its storage - during the First World War it sank into the sea and lay there until 1998.
2. Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. This wine is from the 1945 vintage. It was made in France. They offer $114,614 for a bottle of the drink.

Of course, there are quite a large number of such wines in the world, because many people have realized over time that their purchase is a significant financial investment.

Where can you buy collection wines?

If you decide to buy yourself a collection wine, you should know that you need to buy it in specialized stores. This is due to the fact that such drinks must be stored under special conditions so as not to lose their taste. Particular attention should be paid to online stores, which now offer such products in a large selection.

In almost every big city you can find a good store where collectibles are presented, for example, there are two Massandra branded stores. Here you can buy wine in beautiful boxes, which come with instructions on how to properly handle this exquisite drink.

In addition, there are a sufficient number of trusted online stores that offer a much larger variety of wines. They can also be purchased at auctions, which are held there with enviable regularity.

What occasions are these wines suitable for?

Collection red and white wines are a universal gift for special occasions. You can give them as a birthday present to the hero of the day, take them on a romantic picnic, or order them for a date. Collection wines are perfect for wedding celebrations and as gifts for newlyweds.

It should be noted that according to European traditions, even now in wine-making families, in the year of the birth of a child, they put a certain amount in the cellars. They put in the wine that has already stood in barrels for two years at the time of the birth of the child. Consequently, after twenty to thirty years the wine becomes quite collectible, with excellent taste and aroma.

This tradition is also considered a wonderful investment, because after decades the value of old aged wines increases significantly. It should be noted that if funds allow, then good wines are purchased, which are purchased from various well-known producers. So, for example, Patrick Newz, who is the chief oenologist at the house of JM Brocard, walled up about six hundred bottles of various wines in his home cellar when his second daughter was born.

How to choose a collection wine?

To make a first-class gift in the form of collectible wine, you should know some subtleties in its acquisition. First, decide what you want to buy it for (for a gift, for a celebration or for relaxation). If this is a gift for someone, then you should first find out the tastes of the person to whom you will present it.

If you decide to give wine as a gift for a future collection, then you should know that it will become one in ten years, and it must be stored in proper conditions. Most often, collection red wine is given as a gift for the future, since this is what is aged the most.

You should also know that if you purchased such an exquisite alcoholic drink and found sediment, then this is how it should be. Some elements in such wines settle to the bottom and walls of the bottle over time.

Conclusion

So, now you know what aged wines are, how they differ from others, and how to choose vintage wines. If you decide to buy yourself such an exclusive drink, then remember that you need to enjoy it according to the rules. This is how you can fully experience the taste of fine wine.

Preparation of moonshine and alcohol for personal use
absolutely legal!

After the collapse of the USSR, the new government stopped the fight against moonshine. Criminal liability and fines were abolished, and the article banning the production of alcohol-containing products at home was removed from the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. To this day, there is not a single law that prohibits you and me from engaging in our favorite hobby - preparing alcohol at home. This is evidenced by the Federal Law of July 8, 1999 No. 143-FZ “On the administrative liability of legal entities (organizations) and individual entrepreneurs for offenses in the field of production and circulation of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products” (Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation, 1999, No. 28 , art. 3476).

Extract from the Federal Law of the Russian Federation:

“The effect of this Federal Law does not apply to the activities of citizens (individuals) producing products containing ethyl alcohol for purposes other than sale.”

Moonshining in other countries:

In Kazakhstan in accordance with the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Administrative Offenses dated January 30, 2001 N 155, the following liability is provided. Thus, according to Article 335 “Manufacture and sale of home-made alcoholic beverages”, illegal production of moonshine, chacha, mulberry vodka, mash and other alcoholic beverages for the purpose of sale, as well as the sale of these alcoholic beverages, entails a fine in the amount of thirty monthly calculation indices with confiscation of alcoholic beverages , apparatus, raw materials and equipment for their manufacture, as well as money and other valuables received from their sale. However, the law does not prohibit the preparation of alcohol for personal use.

In Ukraine and Belarus things are different. Articles No. 176 and No. 177 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses provide for the imposition of fines in the amount of three to ten tax-free minimum wages for the production and storage of moonshine without the purpose of sale, for the storage of devices* for its production without the purpose of sale.

Article 12.43 repeats this information almost word for word. “Production or acquisition of strong alcoholic beverages (moonshine), semi-finished products for their production (mash), storage of apparatus for their production” in the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses. Clause No. 1 states: “The production by individuals of strong alcoholic drinks (moonshine), semi-finished products for their production (mash), as well as the storage of devices* used for their production, will entail a warning or a fine of up to five basic units with confiscation of the specified drinks, semi-finished products and devices."

*You can still purchase moonshine stills for home use, since their second purpose is to distill water and obtain components for natural cosmetics and perfumes.

This collection is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the greatest treasury of wines in terms of its abundance and uniqueness. During the war, it was evacuated from Crimea on an emergency basis and numbered bottles were given preference over people, factory equipment and museum exhibits. The collection has survived several difficult historical periods, and it has been preserved almost completely to this day.
Those who know wine can see truly unique wines here, some of which can only be seen in these cellars.
Part of the collection is available for inspection by visitors to the Massandra winery, but its most valuable part is inaccessible to the average tourist. This is the part you can see in this post...

2. The very idea of ​​​​creating a wine collection was due to the fact that old wines are impeccable in terms of both taste and uniqueness due to insignificant production volumes and ecology. All this led to the fact that wines began to be stored for long periods, even in significant quantities. There was an interest in rare wines, in wines of affection, in wines of certain vintages. This is how entire collections of old wines are created.
The Massandra collection is one of the largest, richest and most famous collections in the world. The beginning of the collection is associated with the name of L. S. Golitsyn. With great taste, stubbornly, sparing neither effort nor money, he collected for his collection all the best that he found in all the wine cellars of the world. In addition, starting from 1897, small quantities of all the wines that Massandra itself produced began to be included in this collection.

3. The Massandra collection has always been, without exaggeration, a historical relic of domestic winemaking, a treasury of the work of thousands of people, in which each bottle, like a book, has its own content, its own authors and its own history. Many wine brands are available in very few bottles.
The collection contains dozens of standards of century-old drinks from Massandra and many European countries. In 1941, when the Great Patriotic War began, Massandra, through the heroic efforts of workers and specialists, in a very short time prepared and sent by sea to Novorossiysk, and then to the deep rear of thousands wine bottles, which returned to the factory walls only four years later.
Now the enoteca is located in 10 galleries and has about one million bottles of unique collection wines of over 800 names. Here, at a considerable depth, the temperature is always the same - 4-14 "C.

4. Deep stone niches are equipped in the walls of the gallery. Each of them contains up to 300 bottles of wine of a certain brand.

5. The Massandra collection fund consists of three parts:
1. The museum fund, which is discussed in this post and which is of great value. The wines contained in it can be called “rarities”. This fund will be stored forever, for posterity, as an assortment collection. The wines from it are not for sale.
2. Advertising and research fund and educational fund - created for participation in salons, auctions and exhibitions; to study changes in wines during long-term storage in bottles; as well as to train and familiarize winemakers with unique samples of wines and the processes that occur during the ripening and aging of these divine drinks.
3. Commercial fund

6. All bottles are sealed with an “extra” cork stopper (the stopper is filled with sealing wax) and laid in a horizontal position without access to air inside. The external condition of the bottles is checked systematically, and every 15-20 years the stopper is replaced. In the dungeons, the bottle is covered with a coating of “noble” dust of centuries", which serves as a kind of passport for the bottle and creates a certain charm. Therefore, wiping and rearranging bottles in the collection is strictly prohibited.

7. Each bookmark has its own passport, which contains all the data about the wine, quantity and dates when the bottles were re-corked.

8. By the way, the device that needed to be guessed yesterday is intended specifically for re-corking processes. To be more precise, it is used for crimping plugs that need to be sealed to reduce the diameter. The thing is that the neck of bottles from different years can differ quite greatly in internal diameter and selecting a cork for several copies is quite problematic. Therefore, it is crimped to fit the desired diameter.

9. Rare samples from the collection include wines from foreign countries:
1. Muscat "Barcelona" vintage 1828.
2. Sherry "India" vintage 1870
3. Marsala "Floria" and Chateau "Iquem" vintage 1865
4. Muscat "Lunel" and Sherry "Pajaret" vintage 1848
5. Madeira "Ribeiro Secco" vintage 1837
6. Sherry "Portuguese" vintage 1847
7. Muscat "Tunisian", Sherry "Saita Maria", Sherry "Gloria", Port "Consular" vintage 1830
8. The oldest unique wine is “Sherry de la Frontera” from the 1775 vintage.
You will see most of them in this post.
In the meantime, I propose to look at some of the most interesting examples of the collection from younger to older wines

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12. By the way, during the occupation of Crimea by the Germans, the Massandra plant did not stand still and continued to operate.
Some of the wines bottled in 1942-1943 can also be seen in the collection

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16. Look how bottles of the same brands of wine sometimes differ

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18. On some bottles you can see numbers painted in white paint. This is a surviving evacuation marking.

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35. On some bottles produced before the Revolution, you can see special marks.
These wines were intended for His Majesty's cellars.

36. The brand is larger

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49. Below are the most rare and rare pieces of the collection

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57. And this is the oldest wine in the collection

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My previous photo reports and photo stories:

You've probably traveled a lot to wine-producing countries, tasted a lot of interesting and even legendary wines, and began to think about finally acquiring your own collection.
After all, how nice it is: to go down to a wine cellar, unlock the heavy door with a key and plunge into a special world, where the passage of time is subject to different laws, where there is no noise and fuss, where it is always dark and cool, where bottles and contents are waiting in strict order on the shelves which can give you real pleasure.
Indeed, compiling a wine collection is a fascinating activity. The incentive to do so can be admiration for a friend’s collection, free funds, or a visit to a winery. However, the fundamental condition is the love of wine, a passion that can unite people regardless of their religion and nationality.
Collections can range from a few dozen examples acquired from wine merchants or on cellar tours, to thoughtfully located and specially equipped vaults containing thousands of bottles purchased at auctions and from fine wine specialists.
However, it’s not at all scary if you don’t have a real cellar; it can easily be replaced by a wine cabinet, in which you can easily place 50 bottles, or a cabinet that can accommodate from 100 to 500 copies.
But before you start filling your wine library, it’s worth understanding why you want to do this: for pleasure, investment, or both?
And the more the collector is inclined to the idea of ​​​​profitable placement of finances, the more high-quality and famous the purchased wines should be.
But most of us acquire our own collection of elite drinks solely for pleasure and for friends. The exchange of bottles and opinions with like-minded connoisseurs is an integral part of wine culture and undoubtedly brings joy to life.

Step 1. Your taste

It goes without saying that your home wine collection should very clearly reflect your personal taste and lifestyle, especially if it is not too large and consists of only 50 - 60 bottles. If you're someone who loves variety and choice and also loves to travel, you'll have the potential to put together a great international collection.
It may include bottles from European, North and South American producers, drinks from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. But perhaps you prefer the classics, have a special passion for aged Bordeaux, fresh Burgundy, bright Rhone wines and the best Californian wines. And if you like to occasionally treat yourself to port with Stilton cheese, then add a few bottles of vintage port (wine made from grapes from the same year) to your collection. If you are a connoisseur of sweet wines, do not forget about Sauternes, selected German Rieslings from late-harvested grapes and Tokaji Aszú. If you like vintage bottle-aged champagne, purchase it from the great Champagne houses as they become available on the market.
A good cellar must have sparkling wines or champagne, or crémant (sparkling wine from other regions of France, produced using classic champagne technology). Champagne wines age very well. Without hesitation, they can be stored for a long time.
And in order to make a more accurate choice, you, naturally, must know what style of wines you prefer, as well as know the tastes of those whom you plan to treat.
But if you're new to collecting and aren't too sure whether you like young or aged wine, dry or sweet, strong or tart, light, floral or otherwise, don't be afraid to try wines from a wide variety of countries, regions, vintages ), grape varieties. After all, even the most experienced connoisseur will not be able to provide you with the “wine of your dreams” without knowing your tastes. And be ready to expand the list of your passions - new exciting sensations are nearby, just reach out.
You can, for example, become a member of a wine lovers club and regularly attend tastings. Or you can choose one of the wine boutiques to your liking and become its VIP client, for whom similar events are also constantly organized. Organize tastings with friends, attend wine lectures. In any case, the more you try, the better you will understand your own tastes. Record the wines you liked and those you didn’t like. Otherwise, you will have to rely entirely on the opinions of consultants, friends, and acquaintances. But since everyone's tastes are different, you may find yourself in a situation where you don't have any wines in your collection that you can actually enjoy.

Step 2: Making a List
Once you have decided on your preferences, it is much easier to create a specific list of wines that are candidates for a place in the collection.
Of course, you can write down everything you once liked there and buy this abundance of wine for your own pleasure. But it would be more correct to make a choice taking into account three main criteria. This is how, for the most part, professionals compose their collections.

Step 3. Selection Criteria
Any wine collection usually contains drinks of three main categories: wines for every day, wines for receptions and elite wines for special occasions (anniversaries, weddings, birth of a child, etc.).
Accordingly, these three groups differ fundamentally from each other, primarily in terms of storage duration, which depends on the geographical origin of the wine.
It is known that wines have completely different potential for storage and aging: some are worth drinking quickly (from six months to a year), others - from a year to three, others can be stored from 10 to 50 years and even longer.
There are quite sad cases when, out of ignorance, owners uncork a wine with brilliant characteristics, but too young, with a “closed taste”, which does not yet have the required range of shades, and... the bottle has to be emptied. However, it's even worse when you open the wine too late and feel that its best time has already passed. Therefore, it is very important to clearly know when to open a particular wine stored in your cellar.
So, wines that should be drunk fairly quickly are best suited for “everyday dining”. (In collections they usually make up about 50 - 60%.) These are inexpensive specimens. But even for short-term storage, you shouldn’t buy unremarkable drinks. Let them be interesting, high quality and individual. Among these are many local wines of France, or selected products from minor and small appellations (limited zones with a certain quality control system). In Bordeaux, for example, it is simply Bordeaux AOC or Bordeaux Superior. They do not improve their characteristics as they are stored. And if suddenly you come across such wines from 1990 or 1988, then you can say with confidence that they have already lost all the best that was in them. By the way, this is why you should not think that all products from the Bordeaux region are intended for long-term storage.
This category also includes wines with fruity, fresh tones, for example, from the Gamay variety (Beaujolais region). The attractiveness of this drink lies in the abundance of expressive fruit aromas. But they cannot be stored, since with age these shades disappear, like the charm of the wine itself.
Wines of the second category are the most common. Their prices are higher, but they are quite affordable. (Most often in collections there are no more than 20%.) Many New World wines, for example, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot from Chile, New Zealand, Australia, are usually drunk within 1 - 3 years. These wines are very fresh, with fruity tones, lively, and fatty on the palate. But after long storage, only coarse tannins and pronounced acidity remain in the bouquet; softness, roundness and fruity splendor disappear. They are made to be enjoyed while they are young.
This also includes wines from France obtained in "second rank" appellations, but located in prestigious wine regions, such as Burgundy, where each village represents an appellation. The best vineyards are located on the slopes, while the valleys produce less structured wines. So they can be stored for up to 5 years.
Wines of the third category are the most expensive. (There are 15 - 20% of them in collections). They usually come from the best sites (grand cru, premier cru) of the most prestigious appellations, where the grapes have favorable exposure to the sun and better drainage.
They are the ones that last the longest. Drinking them young is not always possible, although in recent years many truly great wines have appeared (including from Bordeaux and Burgundy), which become very pleasant to drink at an early age, almost from 1 year. But it also happens that wines from 2001 are extremely attractive now, but after a year or two they can “close down” and become completely uninteresting. Then they need to be “forgotten” in the cellar so that after 5-7 years they will reveal their potential, but with more powerful force.
No matter what metamorphoses the wine undergoes, it should be remembered that all great wines are made even better and better every year, so without a doubt you can leave them for long-term storage.
By the way, there are many such drinks for special occasions in Tuscany (Italy), for example, among wines called Brunello di Montalcino or Nobile de Montepulciano, as well as among Super Tuscan wines - “Sossicaia”, “Ornelaya”, etc. from the Bolgheri region. They can be stored for 10 to 20 years.
In principle, in almost every wine-producing country you can find “super-premium” positions with a very long life. There are such in Chile, and in New Zealand, and in Australia, and in Argentina...
Likewise, in every prestigious zone there are wines whose life expectancy is insignificant.
Within Bordeaux in particular, there are complex hierarchies in both quality and price (from one euro to several thousand). And in order not to make mistakes, you need expert advice. And although all great wines are usually “heard of”: Chateau Margaux, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Chateau Haut Brion, etc., there is another aspect that determines the duration of storage of the wine and its characteristics - the year of harvest ( millesim). In countries with a cool climate (Europe), they can be either too successful (2000 in Bordeaux for red varieties and 2001 in Germany for Riesling), or completely disastrous, like 2002 in Tuscany.
Don't assume that a good year for Bordeaux is also a good year for other regions. For example, 1982 was great in Bordeaux, but poor in other parts of France. But 2001 - also a very good year in the Medoc (part of Bordeaux) - moved into 2002 - not very successful overall, but quite successful for some wines from the Medoc.
And in Languedoc (southern France), Tuscany, and Cotes Du Rhone (France), 1999 was ahead of 2000. And he also showed excellent results in Burgundy. In Bordeaux, the 1997 harvest did not go well, but in the south of Italy and Tuscany it became one of the best in the last 10 years. 1996 is a very good year for Medoc and red Burgundy, outstanding for Champagne.
By studying European tables for successful harvest years, you can learn to quite accurately determine the lifespan of a particular wine: those made in the best years last longer, in the worst they end up young. But drinks from Chile or Argentina are little affected by these statistics, since the climate there is very stable and is considered successful almost every year.
There is a strong argument in favor of buying wines for a collection from famous estates, even if they sometimes cost ten times more than others. The fact is that the best winemakers, even in a bad year, will try to extract everything they can from their own vines. And if the harvest is completely unsuccessful, then they will prefer not to produce wine at all, rather than be content with a bad one and undermine their own authority. By the way, this happens often. The best wines are not produced in bad years.
You can also build your collection taking into account the grape varieties underlying the drink. For example, wines from different countries and regions, in addition to the already international cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, are made from local indigenous varieties, which can be so specific that they will not suit the taste of a beginner, but will delight a connoisseur.
By the way, the same varieties, but growing in different countries, can be completely different from each other, and this is why they are interesting. It is known that Italian Sauvignon Blanc wines, especially from the south, are very different from Austrian or German ones. Likewise, wines from Burgundy are not similar to their “brothers” from Provence. And the whole trick lies in the composition of the soil and climatic conditions (called in one word - “terroir”). Terroir gives wine special shades of taste and aroma, and, in fact, determines the individuality of the drink.
For those who like to experiment with wine styles, we can advise you to assemble a collection according to this criterion.
The style consists of differences in the climate of the countries where grapes grow, differences in varieties and differences in blends (mixtures of grapes), as well as features of production technology.
A style-based collection allows you to evaluate a wine based on its taste and personality. It's probably a good idea to have a variety of different styles of drinks in your cellar.
They can be classified as follows: 3 categories of red and 3 categories of white wines.

Reds
1. Well-structured and balanced red wines. This includes “straight wines” with a clear structure, in which alcohol does not dominate, its presence is not obvious. For example, Sangiovese and Chianti Classico. These wines are served with food, they are fresh, they have pronounced acidity, and a long aftertaste. And the longer and clearer it is, the better the wine will be stored.
Bordeaux wines made from merlot and cabernet can also be included in this category.
2. Characteristic, complex wines with strong individual characteristics. These are “brilliant wines” that are easy to taste. For example, good Burgundy, outstanding Piedmontese from the Barolo and Barbaresco varieties. Their structure is less linear, tannins are not immediately felt. If you're not used to it, you may be shocked by their acidity. You need to get used to these wines and learn to drink them. Not many people understand their character - full of rich fruity tones, expressive, elegant.
3. The wines are generous, filled with sunshine, and most importantly, have a roundness of taste and warmth. They are sometimes rough, but now they are becoming more and more refined. They come from California, Chile, Australia, Argentina, from Sicily, Puglia, Languedoc and Côtes du Rhône, Spain.
These wines should not be stored for a long time.

White
1. Lively and fresh wines (from the Sauvignon Blanc variety, as well as whites from the Loire or Soave wines from Italy). But they sometimes have a drawback - they are too sour.
2. Wines with a rounded taste and scope. These wines are predominantly fatty, oily in taste, and soft. Most often they come from the New World, for example, many Chardonnay, Bourgogne, Meursault. Some of them contain a sufficient amount of sugar and are therefore suitable as an aperitif.
3. Perfumed wines, for example, Viognier, Condrieu. The main thing about them is their aromatic individuality. They are suitable for special cuisine, exotic dishes.

In addition to those listed, there are some other types of drinks that simultaneously belong to several classes, for example, rose wines. They are not suitable for long-term storage and should be drunk within a year. But in this group there are exceptions that live up to 10 years.
But what can you do if you don’t read the specialized press, don’t study special sites on the Internet, don’t have time to follow producer ratings and study summary tables of harvest quality in different years in a variety of countries, starting “from the king of peas”...?
In this case, the only way out is to contact a qualified specialist or an experienced wine merchant.

Acquisition
First, a farm purchase. This is perhaps one of the best ways. At the very least, you can be sure that the wine has never left the place where it was produced and has not been adversely affected by external conditions. And this is very important.
Some collection owners prefer to buy very young wines that need aging or “en primeur” (that is, “in the future”). Since this practice involves purchasing and paying well before wines are bottled, you should always choose a supplier with an impeccable reputation.
Although in the most famous chateaus this is quite difficult, if not impossible. For such a purchase, people sign up for a waiting list for several years in advance. Moreover, there is a very clear procedure for selling elite bottles through intermediaries.
Secondly, the auction. Wine auctions are a paradise for lovers of divine nectar. The best wines in the world are sold at auctions. They are quite accessible to everyone, and not just to experts and people with astronomical income.
And even if you are a busy person, you can easily participate in the auction in absentia by sending in advance a written application for the lot you are interested in, indicating the maximum price you are willing to pay. There is no need to be afraid that you will overpay, since in most cases the rule applies: if the maximum bid in the hall is 100 conventional units lower than yours, then you will pay for the purchase just a “step” above this bid, which is usually less than 100 units (euros) or dollars).
But first, you should familiarize yourself with the catalog, which is published long before the auction and is sold inexpensively or even sent out for free. You should not think that an auction requires super knowledge or fabulous wealth. It is enough to study the catalog in detail to understand that there are many lots in it that are suitable for a novice collector. Along with outstanding wines, simply popular examples are offered. The main thing is to determine for yourself what you want to purchase and the maximum price above which you do not intend to bargain. Before the auction, you can often take part in pre-sale tastings.
Having registered and received a shovel with a number, you begin to place bets following the host, who himself chooses the starting price of the lot, taking into account the wishes of the owner. Rates are increased step by step: for inexpensive lots the step is from 2 to 10 euros; for expensive ones - at least 50. If your bid is the last, then your number is called and the auction ends. Now you can be proud - you purchased wine at auction. All that remains is to pay and take your treasure.
Well, and thirdly, of course, purchases can be made from a wine merchant or in a wine boutique. By the way, some of our supermarkets have a wide selection of wines and are equipped with wine cabinets, which can allow you to buy very decent wine without leaving the country.

24.07.2013

Wine collections- hobbies that take time but ultimately reap rewarding rewards. Collecting a large number of the best wines makes these wine collections wonderful and attractive, so be sure to visit one of them in the near future.

No. 10. Aubrey McClendon – 2,000 bottles

The CEO of Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Aubrey McClendon, is one of the largest landowners in the United States, and he has also collected quite a bit of wine over the years. He keeps his big wine collection in three cellars across the country, also has auction sales such as the “Aubrey McClendon Wine Collection.” The energy tycoon earned a salary of $112 million in 2008, making him the highest paid CEO in the United States and the highest paid CEO of all standard and mid-sized companies.

No. 9. Charlie Trotter – 4,000 bottles

Charlie Trotter, a well-known name in the food industry, amassed a collection of 4,000 bottles of wine before he auctioned them off at Christie's. The collection is marked by large-sized specimens. The bottles are so large that they require special equipment for transportation and transportation, special holders such as cradle. While most regular wine bottles have a capacity of 750 ml, Trotter's collection includes a significant number of premium wines, which have a capacity of up to 1.5 liters.

No. 8. Leslie Rudd – 10,000 bottles

Restaurateur Leslie Rudd has a collection of 10,000 bottles of Napa Valley wines for his restaurant called The Press. When he began building his collection, Leslie worked with married couple Kelly White and Scott Brenner, who are both sommeliers. Leslie's wine collection, the Napa collection, now has an impressive number and variety produced in that region.

No. 7. Tour d’Argent – ​​15,000 bottles

Tour d'Argent is widely recognized among the wine community due to the largest wine list in France. The restaurant is located in Paris. The restaurant has a reputation for having guests arrive early for lunch just to get a good look at the wine selection. In reality, the full wine list weighs approximately 9 kilograms. The cellar is used to store old wines; young wine is considered to be a bottle from 2003. Sommeliers at the Tour d'Argent restaurant mainly buy young wine and store it until it is ready to drink.

No. 6. Tawfiq Khoury (Tawfiq Khoury) – 65,000 bottles

Tofik Khoeri's collection was auctioned off through Christie's as he did a bit of a spring cleaning, but before the auction, he owned 65,000 bottles of wine. Christie's auction estimated the wines were worth approximately $2.5 million, although an exact figure was not given. For a while he had one of largest private wine collections in the United States, which made sense in his early years when he and his wife were throwing out a lot of dinner parties. So, as he and his wife began to travel more, he decided to sell the collection.

No. 5. Restaurant Latour – 100,000 bottles

Jen Mulvihill owns one of largest wine collections in the world, featured at the Latour restaurant he co-owns in New Jersey. According to Milvihill, every bottle of wine in his cellar is found solely because it is one of the best, without fillers or substitutes. The collection features 90-year-old wines dating back to 1890, and it guarantees that not a single bottle in the cellar has been damaged by cork or oxidation. The cellar is also home to the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Technology Laboratory, which helps them analyze individual wines without the need to damage or open them. The equipment was manufactured at the University of California and funded by Mulvhill himself so that he could easily determine the chemical components and acetic acid content of wine. Outside the laboratory, visitors see that each cellar niche represents a different production, country or region, and stores hundreds of variations from there.

No. 4. Wine cellar 1860 – 129,000 bottles

Bodega 1860 is located in the Basque Country of Spain, a city filled with art, culture and gastronomy. The collection has distinctive wines that include old vintages from the 1860s. Even during the Civil War, the winery continued to produce wines, so it is not surprising that bottles from that era are also available. However, only VIPs are allowed to taste these wines, including local political and religious leaders.

No. 3. Graycliff Hotel – 250,000 bottles

The Graycliff Hotel in Nassau in the Bahamas is home to the third largest wine collection in the world. The hotel is named after Captain Howard Graysmith, a pirate of the Caribbean who built the Graycliff mansion in 1740. Graycliff is also one of only 75 restaurants in the world to be honored with a Grand Wine Spectator Award, and they are the only such establishment in the Caribbean. The current owner, Italian Enrico Garzaoli, has also added 12,000 bottles of wine from Italy to the collection.

No. 2. Bern's Snack Bar – 500,000 bottles

Tampa, Florida. Here you will find the second largest wine collection in the world. It was founded in 1956 and is still run by David Laxer, who is the son of the original owner. The state even recently discovered a gem among its wine warehouses. A $30,000 bottle of 1947 Chateau Latour is one of the most expensive wines in the world. Bern's Diner has a sister restaurant called Side Bern's, which has established itself as a liquor store. It gained recognition for the size of its wine collection, even George W. Bush dined in Bern twice during his presidency.

No. 1. Milestii Mici – 2 million bottles

The largest winery in the world- an underground wine city that stretches up to 250 kilometers. The cellar complex is a labyrinth where streets are named after different types of wine, which include Sauvignon, Cabernet, etc. You will need a car to get from one part of the winery to another, and the cellar staff use a bicycle to travel within the winery. Milestii Mici is recognized by Guinness World Records for the sheer size of its wine collection. Wine consumption in the cellars is 70% red wine, 20% white, and 10% dessert.