Setting Up a Wine Cellar #3

Just how good a shopkeeper are you? If you’ve got more than a couple of hundred bottles of wine or are expecting to collect that number, sooner or later you’re going to need to keep some form of record system, even if it’s just the most basic of written lists. There’s nothing sadder than to have left a good or classic wine for too long before remembering it’s still in your cellar, unopened. Sadly, there’s no vinous Viagra injection you can slip down the cork to bring it back to life.

While you can find blank cellar books in book stores and some wine stores, I prefer the idea of doing something on a computer. You don’t need to be Einstein to figure out something on readily available spreadsheet or database software, some of which are actually sold with wine cellaring templates. Furthermore, there are several software products especially developed for wine cellaring, each of which have different strengths and weaknesses. Most have examples you can check out on the Internet after a fairly basic search query. Have a look before making your choice. The thing I like about the computerised concept is that you can print out regular updates, onto which you can record deposits and withdrawls, before consolidating a batch of changes back onto your cellar file.

Aside from keeping track of what’s ready to drink and when, a wine cellar list should be able to provide you with a representation of your cellar breakdown, whether by company, variety, age, style or region. That way you can make sure you don’t create an imbalance in your purchases and of course a computerised file makes it even easier to do this. At the moment, my cellar file tells me I don’t have enough shiraz for the year 2003, something I clearly need to address, and quickly.

There’s another vital reason to record your cellar stock, even if you think you could remember it all. The insurance claim, Lord hope you never need to make one. Sadly, however, the insurance companies are regularly greeted by the sight of deeply saddened wine collectors, shuffling up with stories of floods, fire and theft. Without a cellar list, how will you ever receive an accurate estimation of your cellar’s worth? A stray tip worth remembering is that it will take a thief a lot more time to remove twelve unpacked bottles of wine than a conveniently stacked and unopened dozen. So unpack your wine, if you can.

Specialist Cellaring Services



It’s a sad reality of modern urban design that the business of operating your own decently sized in-house wine cellar has become more difficult than ever. It often comes down to finding a dedicated room in the townhouse or apartment by sacrificing the piano room, the study, the guest room or even by encouraging the occasional post-adolescent child that a certain time might just have arrived.

But should circumstances prevent you from taking either of these courses of action, all is not lost. You can still have your own wine cellar, in perfect conditions of temperature, light, humidity and absence of vibrating sounds by storing it in the premises of a commercial operation set up for precisely that purpose. It’s become something of a burgeoning industry, for ever since collecting wine for both personal and business purposes has stepped back into fashion, a need has sprung up in every Australian capital city.

Until recently the companies which offer wine cellaring services have been typically been auctioneers or self-storage warehousing business. In recent months several have sprung up to specifically address the burgeoning wine cellaring need. One of these is Liquid Assets, located in the inner Melbourne suburb of Abbotsford. It offers storage for around 10,000 cases of wine under a constant temperature of 14?C and humidity between 65-75 in a warehouse converted especially for this purpose.

Furthermore, Liquid Assets’ owners Ross Dunning and John Nielson will compile and manage your cellar database. Although most of its existing customers have stored their wine for the long term, they’re able to telephone or fax in to request that particular bottles be held ready for collection or else delivered to home or office. And if you’re not confident enough to make your own cellaring purchases, Dunning and Nielson, each with sound experience in purchasing wines, will undertake to spend your dollar as wisely as if it were theirs.

Liquid Assets’ Wine Room doubles as an art gallery and provides an exceptional venue for lunches, dinners, tastings and wine courses. Leaving nothing to chance, Dunning specified that even the air conditioning was been especially adapted to ensure it doesn’t interfere with wine’s aroma.

Perhaps the greatest feather in Liquid Assets’ cap is that Bass Phillip vigneron Phillip Jones was so overwhelmed by the facility that he now uses it as his winery’s Melbourne base for storage and distribution. Other wine companies have since followed suit and several well-known restaurants are using it to build up their wine lists.

Although it has many smaller clients, several have very well selected cellars in the 100-200 case range, including a wine fund management company which wanted to ensure its wine was kept in the best conditions possible. With a large number of cases in the $10-20,000 price range, Dunning and Nielson installed a security system so tight than even the occasional stray moth has set the alarms ringing! Its contact number is 03 9415 8801.

Wine Ark is a new national wine cellaring system which appears to be based on similar principles of quality and service as Liquid Assets. It was established by a group of wine collectors seeking to find a suitable system to cellar their own wines. With storage centres shortly to open in each of the mainland capitals with excellent conditions of temperature and humidity, it also expects to offer detailed software information support to its clients. Wine Ark can be reached on 02 9310 3515.

Buying wine as an investment



Haven’t you fallen yet for the temptation to put a box of Grange under the bed for a rainy day? No? That’s good. Only do it if you really know what you’re up to. Very few people have made a fortune out of buying Australian wine as an investment and those that have done so have had to do it properly.

But if you must buy wine with the intention of selling for profit and not to enjoy yourself, here are a few rules to follow. And even if you follow each and every one, there are still no guarantees.

1. Only buy recognised good to top years of high quality wines.
2. Store them in nothing less than perfect conditions.
3. Follow any advice you receive from Langton’s Fine Wine Auctions, for they set the speed of the secondary market.
4. Keep aware that most of the premium brands have already experienced their dramatic period of resale price growth.
5. Make sure your purchases come from a reputable agent and cellar.
6. Magnums attract an extra premium, especially in Australia.
7. Don’t expect an overnight windfall for any wine.
8. Auction prices are not constant, but do shift quite dramatically from sale to sale.
9. Don’t go buying stacks of wine made for anything less than long-term cellaring.
10. Think again before you sell it. It may be more fun to drink.

Cellaring wines for $30+



Whites:

Bannockburn Chardonnay
Coldstream Hills Reserve Chardonnay
De Bortoli Noble One
Giaconda Chardonnay
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
Moss Wood Chardonnay
Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon
Mountadam Chardonnay
Pierro Chardonnay
Rosemount Estate Show Chardonnay
Tarrawarra Chardonnay
Yeringberg Chardonnay

Reds:

Bass Phillip Pinot Noir
Chateau Tahbilk Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Cullen Cabernet Merlot
Dalwhinnie Shiraz
Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz
Kay’s Amery Block 6 Shiraz
Lake’s Folly Cabernets
Orlando Jacaranda Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
Petaluma Coonawarra Merlot
Saltram No. 1 Shiraz
Seppelt Dorrien Cabernet Sauvignon
Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon

Under $15



Reds 2:

Huntington Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1995
Kingston Estate Tessera 1998

Whites 2:



Leydens Vale Riesling 1998
Pewsey Vale Riesling 1998

$15-$30

Reds 2:

Peter Lehmann Cabernet Sauvignon 1997
Bests Bin 0 Shiraz 1996

Whites 2:

Leo Buring Leonay Eden Valley Riesling 1995
Brokenwood Semillon 1998 Please login to post comment