From: wbg@mtek.com (W. Brewster Gillett)
Subject: Re: intro book
Reply-To: brew@mtek.com
Organization: MTEK International, Inc.
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 16:50:36 GMT

rickh@ems.cdc.com (Richard Herwig) writes:

>I'm ready to take the leap intp starting my own wine cellar, but
>I lack info on how to start.  Does anyone know of a good book

> Richard F. Herwig              | 
email: rickh@ems.cdc.com  

Robert Parker's various books can give you an excellent start. In fact,
almost any of the main-stream compendia of general wine information
published in the past couple of decades will serve. Parker is generally
recognized as _the_ authority on Bordeaux, but his all-areas book is pretty
good as well. Matt Kramer has penned an excellent reference on Burgundy.

Some good periodicals are _The Wine Spectator_, and Parker's own very
exhaustive newsletter, _The Wine Advocate_. The _Advocate_ is one of the
finest sources for very current tasting and pricing information on wines of
all regions.It's nearly indispensable for any serious collector.

I don't have access this moment to names of good cellar-building advice
books, but the basics are pretty straightfordward. THE key for cellar
conditions is temperature stability. The absolute mean temperature, while a
factor, is not as important. What you want is as little year-round
fluctuation as possible. The only difference between a cave that averages 62
degrees year-round and one that averages 55 is that, all other factors being
equal, wine will mature more slowly as average temp is lower. Humidity can
also hurt you - too low, and you run the risk of corks drying out - a fatal
disaster! Too high, and labels may start parting from their bottles - a fun
challenge perhaps, but not one I'd wish on anyone.  60-70 is a reasonable
humidity range, and fluctuations won't have any real impact. If your cave
exhibits low hunidity, the low-tech solution is a bucket of water with a
couple of old terrycloth scraps hanging over the side as wicks; it works for
me. If it's too high, more expensive control measures may be in order.

Your maximum long-term satisfaction will generally be realized by buying
high-quality reds, those that are specifically vinified for long life, at or
shortly after their release, and forgetting about them for at least 3 or 4
years, and up to 12 to 15 in many cases. Buying futures has proven
historically to be of questionable financial merit; for example, the only
two Bordeaux vintages where it was clearly a win recently were 1982 and
1989. There are sometimes other reasons to buy futures; chief among them the
availablity issue. Sometimes the only way you can ensure access to a
particularly hard-to-get number is tying it up as a future. Just don't
expect that the cost differential between future and release will always
beat loss-of-use of your money and the inflation rate.

Overall, go with your own taste, recognizing that it will almost surely
evolve over time. Taste as many different types and regions as your budget,
time and liver will allow. The more you increase your exposure, the more you
learn, and the better odds of discovering those wines which really punch
your personal buttons. Wine collecting is a fascinating and rewarding hobby,
and perhaps best of all, it will teach you patience. 

In vino veritas,


Brewster

-- 
_________________________________________________________________
brew@mtek.com
MTEK International, Inc.             Throughput Technology Corp.
Throughput!
Newsgroups: alt.bacchus