Light and Shade

[Hacker]

Quite a few years ago Campbell Mattinson wrote an article about his experiences with cellaring wine, and one of the points he made was to have both light and shade in your cellar. In other words, have enough variety within your cellar to keep it vibrant and interesting.

I have some wine friends who love Barossa shiraz and Italian Brunello. Thats it. Now I love Barossa shiraz and am happy to bring that along when ever we meet for a meal. But virtually every time? They have every right to love a smaller grouping of flavours, more power to them for that, but I love having a multitude of flavour profiles to draw from.

About 10 years ago I noted how many of you love Barolo and Barbaresco, so I started to compile a modest selection and have about 4 dozen now. I'm not sure if I'm quite over the line with it yet, but I am still happy I have that variety on board. So, I have at least a small representation of the following:
Barossa shiraz - and within this category there are heavyweights like Standish and lighter versions.
Maclaren Vale shiraz - mainly Marius - thanks Roger.
Yarra Valley cab and chardonnay
Margaret River Cab and chardonnay
Coonawarra cab - but no much now
Hunter shiraz and chardonnay - mainly Tyrrells
Burgundy pinots
Bordeaux cabs, mainly left bank
Bordeaux sauternes
Barolo and Barbaresco - and a tidy smattering of Barbera for further variety
German riesling - mainly kabinett off dry
A whole heap of cheap and cheerful stuff (including cleanskins) which offer remarkable value.

I am happy that I can wander down to the cellar and find something to suit most moods and foods.

So, how do you guys keep interest in your wine collection?

[JamieBahrain]

I went the other way from what Campbell suggested. I had an amazingly diverse cellar and then about 15 years ago shaped it toward Piedmont. Wish I’d gone earlier, gone harder, so to speak!

Diversity is easily obtainable from the secondary market. Yet my favourite Barolo & Barbaresco has become scarcer and more expensive

[Ian S]

A superb topic.

Rather than just light and shade, my ambition from the start was to have wine on hand for most situations (rather than buying in the week that it got drunk as I did before). As I branched outwards (slowly at first), so did the variety of grapes, styles etc. That can mean my stash is a bit 'bitsy', with lots of singletons, but that's the trade-off in wanting variety, but wanting to keep numbers down at a sensible level.

Aside from that, one big change in approach, similar to the light/shade idea, was finding joy in more modest wines, over a (too large) focus on reserve bottlings and the like. Sometimes a frothy (but real) Lambrusco, a zingy vinho verde or a grippy Cahors is exactly what is needed, with fancier attempts detracting from what a good basic version can deliver. Not that I don't still enjoy Barolo, Pomerol, etc. or bottles where the winery pulls out all the stops. Each wine has its moment and it took me a while to realise I was neglecting some very useful wines whose only crime was they were cheaper (yet solidly made)

[JamieBahrain]

Each wine has its moment and it took me a while to realise I was neglecting some very useful wines whose only crime was they were cheaper (yet solidly made)

In Hong Kong, they were not only cheaper but often depreciated! This was one of the reasons I moved away from stuffing the cellar with wine in the name of diversity. Diversity always seemed available at a modest price.

The Australian market is playing out in similar fashion. Minus an international diversity.

[Mahmoud Ali]

A superb topic.

Rather than just light and shade, my ambition from the start was to have wine on hand for most situations (rather than buying in the week that it got drunk as I did before). As I branched outwards (slowly at first), so did the variety of grapes, styles etc. That can mean my stash is a bit 'bitsy', with lots of singletons, but that's the trade-off in wanting variety, but wanting to keep numbers down at a sensible level.

Aside from that, one big change in approach, similar to the light/shade idea, was finding joy in more modest wines, over a (too large) focus on reserve bottlings and the like. Sometimes a frothy (but real) Lambrusco, a zingy vinho verde or a grippy Cahors is exactly what is needed, with fancier attempts detracting from what a good basic version can deliver. Not that I don't still enjoy Barolo, Pomerol, etc. or bottles where the winery pulls out all the stops. Each wine has its moment and it took me a while to realise I was neglecting some very useful wines whose only crime was they were cheaper (yet solidly made)

Very well said Ian, I couldn't agree more. The one thing I would add is that these less expensive but well made wines do cellar extraordinarily well, better than most people realise. A well stocked cellar, of "light and shade" allows one, according to mood, cuisine, and circumstance, to drink mature wines that range from classed Bordeaux to Cotes du Rhone. Variety, from top to bottom, are a dime a dozen from the bottle shop, if you want to drink it young. A cellar, as opposed to a hoard or collection, has an entirely different purpose.

Cheers ................................. Mahmoud.

[Ian S]

indeed that is true