The Auswine Forum

I could have lots of fun going through Tahbilk's back catalogue

Make mine Shiraz....

80% wine 20% food/cheese to go with the wine

I always find these questions about spending a certain amount of money on wine difficult to answer. I know that I will certainly spend quite a bit more than $2K on wine this year. Much of it (40-60%) will be bottles that will be consumed pretty quickly just to taste what is coming onto the market in new vintages just to see if I should buy more. Wines that end up in the cellar in that way account for about another 20-30% and the rest (about 20-30%) will be wine offers from mailing lists. But this is just a year in year out expense that I gladly suffer!

However if someone dropped $2K in my hand as a chance to build the cellar in some way then there would be several alternatives.

1) With an eye to seeing how the other half lives and to maybe purchasing for the cellar I’d probably use the money to pay to attend tastings of wines that I do not buy in any serious quantity ($100+/btl) or wine regions that I know little about (e.g Spain, Portugal, etc.)

2) After our trip through various regions in Oz last year I could quite easily drop $2K on wine from a number of producers, viz. Morris (fortifieds), Warrabilla, Marius, Kay Bros, Mollydooker (yes, Mollydooker), Dutschke, Seppeltsfield (fortifieds), Winter Creek, Tuesner, Tim Smith, Diggers Bluff, Hobbs, Paulett, Kilikanoon. In fact I could probably use quite a bit more than $2K.

3) The last way would be (as has been suggested) a one off event in the mold of an Evans Tutorial with wines that are good examples of New and Old World regions. This would take a bit of thought because you would not get too much for your $2K unless you drop down the scale in areas like Bordeaux and Burgundy, and even areas in the Rhone. Probably the best way to look at it might be by grape variety with the knowledge that you will end up with wines that are blends in some cases. But I’d go with New and Old World examples of Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Syrah/Shiraz, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc to round out a dozen - which would average around $160/btl.

Mike

cuttlefish wrote:

Wayno wrote:Erm, hookers and blow?

About these hookers.....are you going for quality or quantity ?

I would think that vintage would also be a primary consideration

G'day

I suppose the question becomes relevant to your annual wine spend; i.e. if you're a billionaire with your own sommelier, then $2K is a weeknight's worth

I reckon I would spend upwards of $5000 on wine (maybe quite a bit upwards) a year and for me it is turnover, as well as growth - I've got the cellar to the point where for some wines I put young wines in to replace the older ones. Having said that, you may have someone that only drinks 4 bottles a month, but it is all in the $100+ per bottle category. Most of mine is not.

So, back to the discussion. Is $2K going to change your habits, or just give you and yours a big headache one night?

Cheers

Allan

griff wrote:Can't drink more than two full bottles, even on a special night.

Would have to go with a nice Montrachet and vintage port to finish. That should do me.

cheers

Carl

I seem to recall you doing just that only a week ago, with plenty of other bottles in between

Davo wrote:

griff wrote:Can't drink more than two full bottles, even on a special night.

Would have to go with a nice Montrachet and vintage port to finish. That should do me.

cheers

Carl

I seem to recall you doing just that only a week ago, with plenty of other bottles in between

Yes but I wasn't allowed to sit down with them and drain the contents. Lucky there was other bottles to distract me

cheers

Carl

Well, whadayuno, it turns out I have 50% of this exact dilemma... I have $1000 to spend on wine as a gift - on account of being 40 today - happy birthday to me.

I have been thinking I would get only 2005's, as that's my wedding year and I need to stock up on some long-lasting wine from this vintage (before it gets too late). Figured on some of the following:

Some Rhone: Charbonniere CDP (had it before and loved it), also Charvin CDP (good QPR), and/or Beaucastel CDP (top drop, wouldn't usually buy). Any suggestions, alternatives for 05 CDP?

Also figured something a bit different, international, world class, but cheaper than bdx itself - thought maybe Concha-y-Toro Don Melchor?

Also some riesling: maybe Fritz Haag B J Spatlese.
And if I still have money over, some of the Hawkes Bay bdx blends that have done well in those bdx-Gimblett Gravels taste-offs. Perhaps Sacred Hill Helmsman.

Not much australian in there, is there. Would you recommend anything as direct replacement from Aus/NZ with better qpr?

qpr aint something to be too concerned about for your birthday Bickl!!

Find a shop that still sells 05 PH pope at a good price. screw those hawkes bay tasting wines - get something really good. hunt around and you can still get it a shade over $100 in retail even though they now want $225 from the winery (PM if you wanna know where)

i bought some of that fritz haag 07 spatlese. hope its good!!

Craig(NZ) wrote:
i bought some of that fritz haag 07 spatlese. hope its good!!

Had a bottle on the weekend and, yes, it's good. Though I could see why the query over on ebob re acid levels in the '07s arose (for the record, it's apparently not an issue) -- it certainly doesn't have the in your face acid backbone that we see in the NZ equivalants. A very polished, nicely balanced wine with a long life ahead of it.

Cheers
Peter

Bick wrote:Well, whadayuno, it turns out I have 50% of this exact dilemma... I have $1000 to spend on wine as a gift - on account of being 40 today - happy birthday to me.

I have been thinking I would get only 2005's, as that's my wedding year and I need to stock up on some long-lasting wine from this vintage (before it gets too late). Figured on some of the following:

Some Rhone: Charbonniere CDP (had it before and loved it), also Charvin CDP (good QPR), and/or Beaucastel CDP (top drop, wouldn't usually buy). Any suggestions, alternatives for 05 CDP?

Also figured something a bit different, international, world class, but cheaper than bdx itself - thought maybe Concha-y-Toro Don Melchor?

Also some riesling: maybe Fritz Haag B J Spatlese.
And if I still have money over, some of the Hawkes Bay bdx blends that have done well in those bdx-Gimblett Gravels taste-offs. Perhaps Sacred Hill Helmsman.

Not much australian in there, is there. Would you recommend anything as direct replacement from Aus/NZ with better qpr?

CDP: Would look around for Vieux Telegraphe and/or Clos de Papes.

May want to take a look at Northern Rhone Syrahs to compare to the NZ lot

cheers

Carl