Wine Cellar/Purchases by Country

[Rory]

This may well have been asked before, but I am interested if there has been any shift over the past 10 years.

1. If you can remember, what % of purchases would any given country represent (keep it to 3 or so only) 10 or more years ago.

2. What would the % be for the last 5 years?

For instance, my purchases 10 years or more ago were predominately Australia 60%, French 30%, Italian %10
Last five years: Australia 30%, French 20%, Italian 50%.

Cheers,

Rory

[Mike Hawkins]

Before... Oz 60%, France 30%, Germany 5%

Now France 60%, Oz 25%, Germany 7%

[tarija]

At a guess:

- Before: 75% Australian, 20% French, balance a mix.
- Now: 30% Italian, 25% French, 15% Spanish, 10% Aust, followed by a mix of Greek, Portuguese, German.

At the start, I was buying mostly Australian due to jumping on all the $20-$30 95+ point shiraz and cabs, however I loved Burgundy from the start but couldn't afford much of it. Cellar felt a bit same-same and unexciting...too heavy with shiraz and cab...too much stuff that was ready to drink fairly early on, and would hold but not really develop much.

I don't buy much Australian stuff nowadays - only to keep position on mailing lists for Wendouree, Rockford, Marius and Tyrrells, otherwise I probably wouldn't buy any Australian wine at all. Having a lot of enjoyment exploring the old world and all the non-standard varietals. Average spend perhaps a bit more, however still can't afford much Burgundy. Have skipped wines like Wynns Black Label Cab Sauv, at that price point I'm now inclined to pick up an oddball varietal I haven't tried or something different from Greece, Georgia, or one of the less popular regions in Italy, Spain or France.

[Ian S]

currently in the cellar:
Italy 47.5%
France 17.5%
Australia 14.5%
etc.

10 years ago (I'm guessing unless someone can find the corresponding thread from a decade ago!):
70% Australia
10% Italy
5% NZ
etc.

Why the change?
- Aussie wines (along with Ch Musar) was my entry point into decent wines.
- The world of wines seemed a big place (though it is even bigger than I realised then) and it felt right to focus on one country whilst sampling others before jumping in to try and work them out. Over time I discovered Italy, then specific regions of France. Portugal and Spain are more recent explorations in detail. NZ meanwhile is down to 1.3%.
- Back then I gave more credence than I should to wine writers / annuals, so I'd enthusiastically read Halliday, Oliver, Hooke/Kyte-Powell and Michael Cooper. They definitely influenced my buying.
- Aussie wines in the UK were exceptional for the price, especially at the exchange rate at the time. However the exchange rate moved considerably and some of the prices escalated. Value became harder to find outside a few no-brainers. Things have improved a little and with Australia showing the way with controlled alcohol levels and the increased enthusiasm for experimentation, they're coming back onto my horizon more than they were 2-3 years ago.
- Italy has become a familiar haunt, with a holiday there most years and sometimes twice a year. That really helped me explore a variety of regions and there is certainly wonderful variety. I love the country as you might a scruffy but doting hound. It has it's faults and foibles, but away from the tourist trail, the hospitality is exceptional. The wines excite and whilst innovation is sometimes strangled, the Italians do have a joy in innovating even if much of what I love there is a product of stubbornly doing what they've always done and resisting the false gods of mass production.
- France - the volume of French wine we have always amazes me. I don't see myself as a Francophile, yet 17.5% is a decent amount of bottles. Burgundy (again surprisingly) leads the way, followed by a dwindling Bordeaux stash, then Loire, Champagne (my god I thought I had eclectic tastes in France, but that's a pretty mainstream top 4), Languedoc-Roussillon, SW France (how can it be that far back when I love Cahors - Oh I drink it!) and Provence round out those over 5%. Alsace and Jura represent odd bottles.

Not mentioned in the above is Ch Musar, currently running around 5%, but always happy to top up and get some bottles of the white & the rose if I ever see them.

[Ozzie W]

I've only got a 3 year history as I haven't had my cellar for a decade yet. But even so, over that shorter time-frame there's been a significant shift in purchases.

Purchases in 2014: Australia 100%
Purchases in 2015: Australia 91%, Italy 5%, France 1.5%
Purchases in 2016: Australia 48%, Italy 33%, France 11%

Why the change?
- My palate has changed. I no longer purchase any Aussie Shiraz. I love aged reds. I love Old World reds.
- I discovered I love Italian reds, particularly wines from the 3B's and Mt Etna. I reckon Italian wines offer the "best bang for the buck" right now at any price point, more-so those from Mt Etna.
- I caught the Burgundy bug. I'd buy considerably more from Burgundy if it weren't so darn expensive.

[winetastic]

Currently:
Australia: 80%
Italy: 19%
France: 0.5%
USA: 0.5%

4 years ago it would have been basically 98% Australian.

In the last 2 years, around 60-70% of my purchases have been Italian, mostly Barolo, Barbaresco, Langhe Nebbiolo and Nerello Mascalese from Mt Etna.

[winetastic]

Why the change?
- My palate has changed. I no longer purchase any Aussie Shiraz. I love aged reds. I love Old World reds.
- I discovered I love Italian reds, particularly wines from the 3B's and Mt Etna. I reckon Italian wines offer the "best bang for the buck" right now at any price point, more-so those from Mt Etna.
- I caught the Burgundy bug. I'd buy considerably more from Burgundy if it weren't so darn expensive.

That basically sums up my last few years as well, though I always preferred aged aussie reds to younger ones. I have avoided burgundy so as not to catch the bug

[brodie]

My 20 years by decade. These are snap shots

1995 (living in Aust): 100% Aust. Just getting into buying larger quantities and only buying Aussies
2005 (living in USA): 58% France, 23% Aust, 13% Italy, 6% German. Buying lots and lots of French-burgs, bdx, rhone
2015 (living in NZ): 31% France, 26% NZ, 26% German, 10% Italy & 6% Aust. Big year for NZ wines and Germans, backed off on France

Current cellar split is: 51% France, 18% Aust, 13% Italy, 10% NZ, 7% Germany & 2% other

Brodie

[Ian S]

My 20 years by decade. These are snap shots

1995 (living in Aust): 100% Aust. Just getting into buying larger quantities and only buying Aussies
2005 (living in USA): 58% France, 23% Aust, 13% Italy, 6% German. Buying lots and lots of French-burgs, bdx, rhone
2015 (living in NZ): 31% France, 26% NZ, 26% German, 10% Italy & 6% Aust. Big year for NZ wines and Germans, backed off on France

Current cellar split is: 51% France, 18% Aust, 13% Italy, 10% NZ, 7% Germany & 2% other

Brodie

Interesting journey. I'm surprised that despite living there, US wines never graced the top 4. Was that a style thing or a value thing, or you never quite found that bottle to excite?

[rens]

I've only been on cellar tracker since mid 2009, so the data is a little difficult to get for 10 years ago. But in 2010 (first full year available)my purchases were:

Australia 97% Bottles purchased
Lebanon 1% Bottles purchased
Italy 1% Bottles purchased
Canada 0.5% Bottles purchased
France 0.5% Bottles purchased

In 2015 (last full year):

Spain 52% Bottles purchased
Australia 40% Bottles purchased
Italy 8% Bottles purchased

[Chuck]

Over 30 years have never bought anything other than OZ and a splash of NZ and an occasional French bubbly. The QPR in compelling and I need to keep the taste buds down market. Like cars it's easy to go up in quality but hard to go down. Ankle biters also are a drag on the bank balance. Like wine it's a matter of balance.

Carl

[brodie]

My 20 years by decade. These are snap shots

1995 (living in Aust): 100% Aust. Just getting into buying larger quantities and only buying Aussies
2005 (living in USA): 58% France, 23% Aust, 13% Italy, 6% German. Buying lots and lots of French-burgs, bdx, rhone
2015 (living in NZ): 31% France, 26% NZ, 26% German, 10% Italy & 6% Aust. Big year for NZ wines and Germans, backed off on France

Current cellar split is: 51% France, 18% Aust, 13% Italy, 10% NZ, 7% Germany & 2% other

Brodie

Interesting journey. I'm surprised that despite living there, US wines never graced the top 4. Was that a style thing or a value thing, or you never quite found that bottle to excite?

Hi Ian, I found that the few US wines I liked were too expensive and poor QPR (too many rich patriotic Americans chasing the same wines). I liked the Ridge wines and a few others, but most did not really float my boat. I tried a decent number of high end to cult Cali Cabs and mostly found them overdone/overripe and over oaked. Just too big and lacking in restraint. For my taste, there was a big style change in Cali Cabs that started about 1994 and reflected Parker points and general market preferences. The older style Cali Cabs from the 1980s were generally much more enjoyable (like Dunn Napa for example) The big name Cali Chardonnays (Kistler etc) were the same - just too big and alcoholic for my taste.

Brodie

[dingozegan]

2006 (in the UK):
France 39%
Australia 23%
Germany 12%

Last five years (in Australia):
France ranges between 50% and 70% each year
Australia ranges between 13% and 26%
Third place varies each year between (some equal third places for) Italy, Germany, NZ, Spain and Portugal

I know I'm not typical of the average Auswiner though

[Ian S]

My 20 years by decade. These are snap shots

1995 (living in Aust): 100% Aust. Just getting into buying larger quantities and only buying Aussies
2005 (living in USA): 58% France, 23% Aust, 13% Italy, 6% German. Buying lots and lots of French-burgs, bdx, rhone
2015 (living in NZ): 31% France, 26% NZ, 26% German, 10% Italy & 6% Aust. Big year for NZ wines and Germans, backed off on France

Current cellar split is: 51% France, 18% Aust, 13% Italy, 10% NZ, 7% Germany & 2% other

Brodie

Interesting journey. I'm surprised that despite living there, US wines never graced the top 4. Was that a style thing or a value thing, or you never quite found that bottle to excite?

Hi Ian, I found that the few US wines I liked were too expensive and poor QPR (too many rich patriotic Americans chasing the same wines). I liked the Ridge wines and a few others, but most did not really float my boat. I tried a decent number of high end to cult Cali Cabs and mostly found them overdone/overripe and over oaked. Just too big and lacking in restraint. For my taste, there was a big style change in Cali Cabs that started about 1994 and reflected Parker points and general market preferences. The older style Cali Cabs from the 1980s were generally much more enjoyable (like Dunn Napa for example) The big name Cali Chardonnays (Kistler etc) were the same - just too big and alcoholic for my taste.

Brodie

Hi Brodie
Thanks for that. If we think the Aussie focus has been too much on Barossa Bruisers, then it doesn't compare to the cult of Napa cult wines. The marketing genius of difficult to get onto mailing lists only fuels the price escalation. Many US folk argue that Napa represents awful value for money, but perhaps the best place to make a statement about being a 'baller'.

Ridge meanwhile have indeed cut their own path over the years, and it'd difficult not to like and respect them for it. Edmunds St John are another I'm keen to try, who appear to have consistently bucked the cliché.

One of the most interesting range of US wines I experienced was from Columbia Winery, based in Washington State. The winemaker was a Scot by the name of David Lake and the wines had an elegance that nicely burst any perceptions of gloopy US wines. Sadly he died a few years back and it appears Gallo (spit) now own them. I've not tried the wines since, but wouldn't now if Gallo own them. They are too aggressive in the legal 'protection' of their brands for my liking, most noticeably in banning the Italian Chianti classic producers from using the gallo nero logo. They won't get my money.

regards
Ian