Show us which wines you're saving for a special occasion...
Attach your picture to the comments, then tell FoodTribe why you picked that bottle, and when you plan to open it
Some wines are meant to be drunk the moment you arrive home. Other wines require a few years on the closet floor to ripen to perfection. I want to talk about those wines and spirits you have reserved to celebrate a specific milestone, or when you've reached a monumental goal.
Winston Churchill (...of course)In victory, I deserve champagne... but in defeat, i need it.
Cellaring a wine takes patience, and patience is a practice of annoyance, but the outcome can be tremendous and well worth the wait. Couple that with a celebration, and you've just added a whole new level of sensory gratification to your observance.
To start, here are the reds I've been hoarding
I apologize, but I've yet to reach that level of Sommelier that requires a massive, custom wine cellar... At the moment, my "cellar" is just a few shipping boxes hidden under a staircase, but the environment is pretty perfect for longterm aging. It's dark and never gets above ~68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 C). In the perfect world – and for an even longer lifespan – wine should be stored at 55*F, on it's side, in a dark, mildly humid room... I've yet to designate an occasion for all of my cellared wine, so maybe I'll open a bottle when I get a real wine cellar. In the meantime, I will point out a few of my bottles I find most significant.
Wine & [occasion]
2011 Warre's Vintage Porto [when I retire]... 1999 Frog's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon [10 years in the wine industry]... 2009 ZD Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon [next big promotion]... Frog's Leap 2009 Rutherford Blend [20 years in the wine industry]... 2009 Muga Gran Reserva Rioja [10 year wedding anniversary]... 2016 Gaia Estate Agioratiko [no occasion, just aging for ~15 years]... 2011 Kirkland Gran Reserva RDD Tempranillo [35th birthday].
The fizzy stuff
I really do need to expand on my special occasion bubbly selection... NV Lini910 Lambrusco Scuro [15 years in the wine biz]... 2012 Szigeti Blanc de Blanc Brut [10 year wedding anniversary]... 2014 Klein Constantia Estate Brut [2034, no real occasion, just want that extra age].
Whites can age too
Most of my whites I'm holding on to until they are "in their prime," which varies from wine to wine, but most of these varietals and regions are known to last for decades! The most special are: 2014 Chateau de la Ragotiére Muscadet [when Coronavirus is clearly not a thing anymore]... 2017 Rudi Pichler Smaragd Grüner Veltliner [50th birthday]... 2017 Catena Adrianna Vineyard 'White Bones' Chardonnay [40th birthday]... 2014 Gutzler GG Riesling [20 years in the wine biz].
Lastly, my deathbed wine
This 2015 Klein Constantia 'Vin de Constance' is one of the most famous sweet wines in the world. Every significant historical figure from the 18th and 19th century worshipped this South African Muscat. From Napoleon Bonaparte, to Charles Dickens, to Alexander Hamilton... This was THE wine to drink for stimulating great thoughts and ambitions. Not that I fancy myself in such high regard, but if it's great enough for Fredrick the Great, then it's good enough for me.
By the time I can see the end of the horizon, I'm sure my sense of smell and taste are going to be on their way out; so what better wine to drink than the most sensational, sweet, aromatic, and immortal wine history has to offer. I may not literally be on my deathbed by the time I open this, but when I do, it will be my way of expressing to the universe that I am done... I quit. Or in the great jargon of Jeremy Clarkson, "I can't be bothered". I will say a toast to death and eternal life, and drink this with whoever else is still around to enjoy it with me. But until then, I've got a lot of time collect, and a lot of reasons to celebrate.
So show off what you've been saving, and tell us why you've been saving it!
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Comments (10)
You have a nice collection! I don't have a wine for a special occasion yet. Can you cellar any wine? And the ideal temperature for red, white, sparkling is 12-13 Celsius (55F)?
Not all wine cellars well, in fact I believe the majority of wine is made to be drunk young - that's generally what happens at our place anyway. And yes, 55 F/13C, out of the light, bottles lying on their sides is the way to go.
To answer your cellaring question, yes. But not every wine is going to improve over time. And some varietals oxidize more quickly than others. Tasting a wine upon release will give you an idea of it’s age worthiness. Quality juice with high...
Read moreWe have a small collection of mostly Australian wines under the house. I'm particularly looking forward to getting into a vertical tasting of Rockford Basket Press Shiraz (from 2000- 2012). There are a few bottles of Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz (various vintages); some Rockford Black Shiraz (kept for special occasions as it’s rare as hen's teeth); some Tahbilk Marsanne - various vintages, but we'll be opening the 2010 soon. And a couple of bottles of Amarone and Barolo. Can’t show you the actual bottles, its too dark for photography under there!
Special wines are a bit of a sore point in my family... My grandfather bought a half pipe of port from Taylors when I was born (no, it wasn’t in the C18TH.) The port was supposed to come to me on my 21st birthday, but he died when I was 10 - he was in England, I was in Australia at the time and his whole wine cellar was sold.
That’s amazing as well as unfortunate about your Grandfather and his collection. I haven’t had many sparkling Shiraz, but I assume the higher quality ones can age as long as Lambrusco. Vertical tastings are amazing because it shows you the...
Read moreIt's notably lacking in French wine! We like to go out and meet the wine makers and are spoilt for choice locally. Driving out to a winery for a tasting and a long lunch is one of the things I'm missing most in lockdown!
Jane Austen was also a fan of Vin de Constance saying it had "healing powers on a disappointed heart". I've never seen it here. Must try it one day.
It’s really an exciting bottle. It doesn’t need age to be wonderful either.
I have no patience and thus no cellar. When it's time for a special wine, I imagine I'll go out and buy one. I love this though, and I might need to try Dickens' own sweet wine.
I usually go out and buy Champagne or sparkling as I need it. Many producers do a good job at cellaring the wines before release anyways.