One of the drawbacks of having an interest in wine is that eventually you may want to consider starting a wine cellar. However, this does not mean you have to convert your garage or a child's bedroom into a temperature-controlled “hommage à vin”. Nor does it mean you have to go out and spend a truckload of money on wine. A good collection can be modest as long as it is well thought out and you make a concerted effort to buy more than you drink. Just about anyone with a love of wine can start cellaring, no matter what the space or budget restrictions might be.

A wine cellar does not need to be an actual cellar, something ornate with oak trimmed cabinets and Italian marble flooring with wine racks made from teak wood imported from Thailand…but I digress. It can be anywhere you collect and store wine for future use. It can be a large closet, space under a stairway or it can be a specially constructed, insulated room with oak wine racks, cooling system and other wine accessories. However, before you start spending your money, there are four key things that you need to understand about proper wine storage. The enemies of wine are heat, light, low humidity and vibration.

The space that you are allotting for the cellar should be away from any sources of heat such as a water heater or furnace. DO NOT STORE YOUR WINE IN THE KITCHEN. This is one of the hottest areas in the whole house. Warmer temperatures speed up the aging process so the cooler the temperature, the slower the aging and the less chance of the wine being spoiled. If you do keep wines in the kitchen, make sure you use them up within a week of buying them or have a wine fridge to store them in. Storage temperatures should be between 50-60F or 10-16C.

Wine is extremely sensitive to ultraviolet light as it can cause premature aging. While wine packaged in clear bottles is the most vulnerable to this, it can affect wine in dark bottles as well. Ultraviolet light breaks down some of the complex components in wine and may produce unpleasant aromas. That's why wine should never be exposed to sunlight for long periods. Be aware of this even when purchasing wine.

The humidity levels should be between 60%-70%. Too little humidity can dry out the cork causing oxidation in the wine, while too much can cause mould and damage the wine label. Find the coolest spot in the house a cold storage room is ideal.

Do not store your wine near paint thinners or other chemicals that can leak odours. The smell can actually permeate the cork of the wine bottle and affect the wine’s taste.

If you are short on space or ideal conditions, consider splurging on a wine cabinet. These have a humidity and temperature controlled environment that can store anywhere from 20 up to 800 bottles and fit under your kitchen counter or in your living room. Check out (www.winecellarsbydesign.com).

As your wine cellar grows, there are a few simple things you can do to help keep your cellar organized. Plastic tabs which you can write on can be placed around the neck of bottle to help identify the wine without having to pull the bottle off the rack. You can add the price you paid for the wine to see if it has appreciated. To help keep track of your cellar contents, go online to (www.winegeeks.com) and log in for free. Click on ‘Manage your wine cellar inventory’ and create your own wine data-base. How cool and easy is that!!!

When you are ready to start your buying, decide what you want in the cellar. Would you like a mix of wines with varying aging potential or just a lot of good wine to have on hand? If you go with the former then look for wines that have a short, medium and long-term aging ability.

Most wines that readily available are for early consumption and typically should be consumed within 1-2 years of the vintage. These are generally fruit-forward wines from Australia, New Zealand, North and South America and South Africa and are delicious to enjoy immediately but generally lack the necessary structure to age longer than 2 years. You could include a small selection of white wines, which at this price point are not known for their longevity. Expect to spend $7 to $12 per bottle.

Short-term wines are a step up in quality from the every day stuff with an aging potential of 3-5 years. There are many superb wines in this category from major wine regions, areas such as Burgundy, Bordeaux and the southern Rhône in France, Tuscany, Umbria and Piedmont in Italy, California and Australia. For white wines, check out Riesling or Gewurztraminer from Alsace, Chenin Blanc from the Loire in France, Rieslings from Germany and Chardonnay from New Zealand. Here you can expect to pay $12 to $20.

Medium-term wines are another step up the aging ladder. These will have the structure and complexity to age for 5-10 years. For the most part, wines in this category are reds. Look for wines from Italy's Piedmont and Tuscany regions, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and the southern Rhône in France, Rioja, Ribera Del Duero and Catalonia in Spain. Personally, I think the wines of the southern Rhône valley are the best value wines around for medium term aging. Look for vintages from the 2004, 2005 and 2006 for this area. Expect to start at about $20 and escalate to $50.

Long-term wines are for the serious collector. These are wines that will go the distance, aging and mellowing for 20 years or more. Wines in this category are usually top tier wines from the finest regions in the old world such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape or new world areas such as California, and Australia. Prices here will start at $50 and rise to over $500 per bottle.

While wines like this are not available all the time, usually released once or twice a year, it is sometimes wise to splurge a little and buy some because of the enormous aging potential and the appreciation factor. Top Bordeaux purchased 20 years ago are now worth upwards of $2000 per bottle. I know because I have one. The upcoming 2005 Bordeaux release in the fall will the perfect opportunity to buy long-term wines.

The most age-worthy white wines in this group are dessert wines from Germany, Hungary and Sauternes from France.

Please keep in mind that this is only a guide to collecting wines. Every once in awhile some wines will come along that cost less than $15 but will age incredibly well. When this happens, you just buy a lot of the wine and count your lucky stars.

In Vino Veritas
Jim Martin

Wines for the cellar:

The 2005 Bleasdale ‘Langhorne Crossing’ Shiraz-Cabernet-Petit Verdot ($14.90 PWS & GLS) is incredible with its purple/black colour, almost opaque with super-rich blackberry, black currant jam, sweet licorice, leather, mint (eucalyptus) and fresh savoury/herb aromas. The texture is surprising full for a wine at this price with spicy black fruit flavours and very soft acidity medium tannins and a long, excellent finish. The best feature is that it has a Stelvin closure. This terrific value is one to buy by the case for everyday drinking over the next 2-3 years: a perfect, short-term candidate for the cellar.
89/100 points, The Wine Advocate

From Chile, the 2006 Viña Chocalán Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.90 PWS) is an intense, full-bodied Cabernet exhibiting concentrated aromas and flavours of blackberry, cassis, licorice, black olive, and menthol and cigar box. The soft acidity and firm tannins on the finish make this a wine that has some aging potential. Ready to enjoy now for the sheer intensity or it can be cellared for another 3-5 years. Excellent value and a perfect candidate for grilled rib-eye steak.

I just had a chance to try the 2007 Don Domenico Syrah ($14.90 PWS) during the week and was very pleasantly surprised. Although the palate was heightened by a little sweetness, the aroma and flavour is ripe with lots of blackberry, black cherry, plum and raspberry-like jam with licorice, vanilla and chocolate. The texture on the palate is rich and smooth with buckets of ripe, juicy black fruit flavour followed by licorice, smoke, and vanilla. This is excellent value barbecue red that would look good on any table. This is a short-term wine for everyday enjoyment.

Quite possible the best BC Meritage and the finest red wine in Canada currently on the market, the 2004 Mission Hill Oculus ($79.00) is Mission Hill’s signature wine, sourced from their Osoyoos and Oliver vineyards. A blend of 74% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot and aged in French oak for 15 months, this wine is a stunning accomplishment from head winemaker, John Simes. Look for copious amounts of raspberry/blackberry/cassis-like liqueur aromas with licorice, menthol, cedar, forest floor, creamy vanilla and chocolate. The texture is pure pleasure with its black fruit dominated flavours with toast, cocoa and clove spice. The finish has super soft acidity and firm yet supple tannins and a long, long aftertaste. A killer red, this wine can be decanted and enjoyed now or cellared over the next decade.