What’s in Your Cellar?

Some day my wine cellar will look like this. We all have dreams, right?

I am a condo dweller. I have no basement. I do not have sufficient space for a large wine refrigerator or upright cellar. Instead, I have a 34 bottle chiller. (Why 34, Vinotemp? Why not an even 3-case 36?) With the bin at the bottom, I can squeeze in a few extra bottles, expanding my capacity to 38 when needed. I have some shipping packaging in an interior closet to stack my occasional overflow, but for the most part, I’m limited to about 3 cases of inventory at any given time. The truth is, since I’m not a collector, this is ample storage.

But I can still dream, can’t I? When our son left the nest a couple of years ago, we converted his room to a home office. While the room is occupied, I have my eye on his walk-in closet. Currently it is full of storage, but in my mind’s eye, I can see it lined with wood racks, sealed, and a compressor installed. Can’t you just imaging that mirror replaced with a glass viewing panel? Dreams can come true, can’t they?

While pondering what I’d do with a 200+ bottle cellar, I thought about what wines I currently have in storage. As I say, I’m not a collector. My oldest bottle is a 2007 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m holding it for another couple of years, with the intention of opening it in 2017, when it is 10 years old, for our 33rd anniversary. I know for some enthusiasts, 10 years is not a long time, but when you’ve limited space, it’s pretty darn long!

As a member of NakedWines.com, I have a lot of their wines. In fact, 18 of 33 wines in my current inventory are from NakedWines.com. Of these, some are “special” wines, including a 2010 Gianfranco & Serena Cordero Barolo DOCG, that I’m planning to hold for at least five more years.

I also have a three year vertical flight of Intertwine Napa Valley Merlot, by Bridget Raymond. (I recently reviewed the new 2014 vintage, here.) The 2012 was actually the first wine I opened in my NakedWines.com sample pack. It was so good, I immediately joined, and I haven’t looked back! In the spring of 2016, I’m planning to host a vertical tasting of the 2012, 2013, and 2014. (I’ll post the experience here afterward.)

Other, non-NakedWines.com wines in my chiller include several Sauvignon Blancs, left-over from the dog days of summer and my 2015 Sauv Blanc obsession, and a Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, my new favorite Italian red. I also have a couple of Cabernet Sauvignons; St. Supery and Castillo di Amorosa, from our Napa mini-vacation this summer. For that obligatory bottle of bubbles, I have a Zonin Prosecco.

Frankly, I think I have a bunch of great wines on hand! Compared to a lot of my wine friends, it’s a small quantity, but it works for me. Some day, perhaps, I’ll be able to convert that closet, but until then, my 34 bottle chiller works just fine.

Which brings me to my original question: What’s in your cellar?

I’m interested in what other wine lovers have in storage. Whether you have a six-bottle rack on your kitchen counter, or the cellar of my dreams, full of auction-worthy classics, please leave a comment and share some of your special bottles. I may not be able to taste them, but we can all enjoy each others wines vicariously.

Cheers!