Collecting Wine
Wine collectors are often a target of derision by people who consider it silly to have a bunch of wine in a dark closet, under the bed, or in a basement.
I know the feeling. I began collecting wine in the late 1970s and several friends thought of me as strange. Today have some very old, mostly red wines that have been sitting around for decades.
Well, lying around is a better way to put it. Most older red wines should be aged on their side to keep the cork moist.
The first case I bought was about 1975, when I put a sealed box of 1970 Simi Cabernet in a depression underneath my house. I still have two bottles of that wine. It's better today than ever.
Collecting wine is not for everyone. In fact, it's not really for almost anyone who wants to do it casually. Most of today's wines are best consumed within hours of purchase. But wine is not made the way it was 60 years ago.
Most of today's domestic wines don't have the staying power to improve. I'd guess that about 98% of all the wine produced in this country today will be worse for long aging.
Of the several dozen cases of old wine I still have, almost all of it is in perfect shape. This has been proven over and again whenever I open a bottle — and marvel at its youthful exuberance and remaining fruit and complexity.
It is still possible to experience this kind of personality change. If you have a nice, naturally cool spot (such as a downstairs closet that never gets above 65 degrees), anyone can play this game. But don't cheat. Colder is better (55 degrees is much better than 65 degrees).
Temperature variations are an absolute no-no. A constant 65 degrees is better than a variable 50 degrees to 70 degrees.
The best wines to try this with tend to be European. Such as Barolo of Italy. One of the greatest examples is red Bordeaux, most of which are astringent when they're young. They can be tamed by a few years in a cool cellar. The better the wine is, the better it will react to a decade of aging.
Most California cabernet sauvignons today are not made for aging, even though the same wines that are now 50 years old may still be excellent. There have been changes in winemaking over the decades and most domestic Cabernets are now best consumed young.
One of my favorite experiences with older wines is fine white wines aged for 2 to 5 years in a cool place. Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and dry rieslings all can become sublime when aged for just a few years.
This requires buyers to be adaptable — willing to accept mature flavors. Young white wines' greatest attribute is fruit. Aging them can diminish the fruit in exchange for the complexity of maturation.
Most of my old Rieslings are 10 to 15-year-old dry German wines (called trocken) that deliver amazing nuances.
Some of my best friends have remarkable older wines that we share. One gentleman brings wines his father collected. My friend has hopes that his children will appreciate the collection he has, which he hopes to pass down to them.
His constant theme is one of optimism. Recently, at a dinner at which he poured an old red wine from his father's original collection, he said he has a few bottles from his birth year that he hopes to drink on his 100th birthday.
"People who drink wine moderately live very long lives," he said, "and even if I don't make it to 100, I'll be happier than people who don't have any old wine in their lives."
Wine of the Week: 2023 Vina Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast ($22) — I rated this wine to be of gold medal caliber in a recent wine competition. I was judging. The wine displays beautiful, bright dried herbs, excellent dark cherry fruit and a medium weight aftertaste. This winery has frequently produced excellent red wines that represent extremely good value.
To find out more about Sonoma County resident Dan Berger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2026 CREATORS.COM
Last Updated: Monday, Jun 29, 2026 04:34:44 -0700
Copyright 2026 Creators Syndicate