Building Your Own Wine Collection

If you dream of starting your own wine collection – or even just setting up a well-stocked wine cellar – here’s the good news: you don’t need a fortune to get started. You don’t even need an in-depth knowledge of wine — though having some idea of what to buy can make the process a lot easier.

Put Your Heart in the Right Place

Joe Buckel, expert winemaker at Sutcliffe Vineyards/TAJ Cellars says a lot of what you choose for your collection has to do with what you love. “I believe a collection should represent the collectors tastes,” says Buckel. “Who wants a bunch of wine they don’t like, even if it is name worthy.”

To get you started, Buckel recommends you expose yourself to as many different regions and varietals as possible to get a grasp of your own palate. “I also highly recommend buying wines that have the ability to age,” he adds, explaining that he likes to taste a wine many times over the course of its life. “If made correctly, there should be a beautiful evolution of the wine that will broaden the perspective of the taster.”

Look Towards the Old Continent

Buckel, who started as a cellar rat and elevated to assistant winemaker while working for BR Cohn Winery, Flowers Vineyard and Winery, and Rutz Cellars, has had the chance to have exposure to a private wine cellar for thirty years (he also has his own small cellar). Why is that important? Because experience has taught Buckel one thing when it comes to wines: if you’re starting a collection on a limited budget, you should look towards Europe.

Here’s a major reasons why: According to Buckel, with the dollar gaining strength, some lesser known regions could present a bargain. “France’s southern Rhone has a plentiful array of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre,” Buckel explains. “All have the ability to age well and create wines with opulent fruit and diverse complexity.”

From Italy, Buckel says he has a huge sweet spot in his heart for the region of Soave. “The white wines from this area are mainly Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave and are a fantastic value,” he says.
Aside from Europe, Buckel says another great region for beginners to consider is Chile. “Chile is doing great things with the Carignan grape, along with a slew of other more popular varietals.”

In the end, the key to a great collection is wine that you enjoy and you can afford – although that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take risks. Exploring new labels and new flavor combinations can help you discover that little gem to make your collection complete.