So you know a little bit about your wines. You can find your way around the supermarket shelves and you probably know how to choose wine by varietal or regional labelling. You may even know the difference between a Pouilly Fumé and a Pouilly Fuisse.

If you do, then it’s highly likely you have a small collection of favourite wines gathering dust somewhere in the house. New research reveals that almost two out of five Brits dream of having their own wine collection but how do you turn those few bottles into a valuable collection?

Making a start can be the hardest part. Where is the best place to keep your collection, especially when 70% of us say they don’t have enough space? Are some wines better to buy for laying down than others; what is the right temperature for storing reds and whites? There are so many questions!

Wine collecting is great fun, whether for personal enjoyment, running a small business or even investing for the longer term. Wine writer and broadcaster Oz Clarke fortunately has some answers. He says:

"Nowadays there are vastly more good wines being made around the world that don’t need storing for anything like as long because winemaking has improved so dramatically. Kick off your collection with six bottles each of your favourite everyday white and red wines, a few bottles of fizz and a bottle of Port, Sherry and dessert wine"

Oz’s Top 5 Tips for storing wine are:

1. Always keep the bottles on their sides to keep the corks damp and swollen, which preserves the airtight seal.

2. Try to vary your selection of styles - and only buy wines that you know you like!

3. The size of your cellar should be dependent on your drinking patterns.

4. Keep track of your wines, maintaining a record of what you have stashed away, where they are located, when and where you bought them and optimum drinking dates.

5. Don’t forget to check the back labels which often provide handy information.

 

Reds	Ready at:	Will last for a further:
Basic Bordeaux (Cabernet-based)	3 years	2 years
Classed growth Bordeaux (Cabernet-based)	10 years	10 years at least
Classed growth Bordeaux (Merlot-based)	10 years	5 years
Napa Valley Cabernet	3-10 years	10-15 years
Australian Cabernet	3-6 years	20 years (finest wines)
Basic Burgundy	3 years	3 years
Premier Cru and Grand Cru	5-10 years	10-15 years (finest wines)
Top super-Tuscans and modern Barolo	3 years	3 years
Old-style Barolo	10 years	3 years
Top Rhone Syrah and top Australian Shiraz	20 years	3 years
Top Rioja and Ribera del Duero	5 years	10 years
Top Califonian Zinfandel	5 years	5 years

 

Whites	Ready at:	Will last for a further:
Simple Burgundy	1 year	6 months
Grand Cru Burgundy	3-5 years	17-20 years
Unoaked Chardonnay (worldwide)	Straightaway	2-3 years
Top oaked Chardonnay	Straightaway	5 years plus
Top dry Bordeaux	Straightaway	4-10 years
Top Sauternes	10 years	Decades
Top German Kabinett Riesling	Straightaway	6-8 years
Top German Spatlese and Auslese Riesling	5 years	10 years
Alsace Grand Cru Riesling	5 years	10 years
German Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein Riesling, Als ace Vendage Tardive Selection de Grains Noble Riesling	10 years	Decades
Tojaki and sweet Loire	10 years	40 years

 

Sparkling	Ready at:	Will last for a further:
Non-vintage Champagne	Straightaway	2 years
Vintage Champagne	Straightaway	6-8 years
Australian Reds	Straightaway	5 years
Port
Vintage	10 years	20-30 years

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