The Auswine Forum

In the poll on the average bottle value, Jacques asked a question about the size of cellars. To some of us thats liking asking how much they earn so rather by having another poll people can answer the question anonymously. Ands once again it should make some fun reading (hopefully.) Comments are welcome.

Only started collecting 2 years ago and hopefully to build it up to around 2000 bottles then on replacement systems

Oh yes, Ric, dear, I do love the completely anonymous nature of your poll. In fact, it's hard to figure out which red bigot is which...

Cheers, and interesting question,

Celia

Ric, I don't know about your local doctor, but I sure would like to meet him and learn a few tricks of the trade.

Davo wrote:Ric, I don't know about your local doctor, but I sure would like to meet him and learn a few tricks of the trade.

Davo,

Location mate There is virtually zero bulk billing on this general area and a consult costs $45 (at mates rates) and $50 for joe average and the guys books are closed. There are 3 others in the practice that will take new patients.

There are 3 others in the practice that will take new patients.[/quote]

With your multiple personalities I guess you see all four???????
MM.

Thanks Torb,
At least I know I am not the worst one now.
For those who got over 1,000 bottles, may I ask how you guys handle your another half when everytime, she find there is another dozens of wine delivered to your home?

jacques wrote:Thanks Torb,
At least I know I am not the worst one now.
For those who got over 1,000 bottles, may I ask how you guys handle your another half when everytime, she find there is another dozens of wine delivered to your home?

Jacques,

Niether am I!

As to how I mange it, I dont have another half but Brian's other half is as much as a red bigot as he is so it easy. All you have to do is turn your other half into a wine nut too!

Ric

The two wino's with over 4000 bottles in their cellar are a worry - school yard maths gives them 10+ years of drinking without the purchase of another bottle (and how likely is that ).

From one of the 500-1000 bottle hoarders (well only just over 500), to take that next jump in magnitude seems incomprehensible (and unbelievably expensive).

I'd be interested to know if they think they are:

a) "addicted" (for a better word) to the collecting of wine,
b) it was either wine or fast cars
c) they own a winery and this is excess stock

Cheers

Mark G

Mark G wrote:The two wino's with over 4000 bottles in their cellar are a worry - school yard maths gives them 10+ years of drinking without the purchase of another bottle (and how likely is that ).

I'd be interested to know if they think they are:

a) "addicted" (for a better word) to the collecting of wine,
b) it was either wine or fast cars
c) they own a winery and this is excess stock

Mark,

I know one of them and the history. Firstly, as a very modest person he is unlikely to respond to your questions so I will take the liberty to do so.

Addicted to collecting wine? Passionate would be a much better description. Also he is every generous and many bottles come from his cellar for dinners with friends, tasting groups etc. When he has an excess of older bottles they often go to fellow wine lovers at 'mates rates' and a couple of people who participate here have been beneficiary's of that generosity.

b) it was either wine or fast cars

Truer words have never been spoken in jest but in this case actually its both.

In terms of numbers it is a big stock but he plans to have a full cellar when he retires and his parter also drinks.

As a single person I have enough for about 7 years but thats not a problem. A percentage does not develop as expected and goes to auction and it means that I can drink aged wine in its peak drinking window every night.

Mark,

I'm not quite as modest as Ric makes out, and not as addicted as you suggest. I've even been known to have 2 AFD in a row in preparation for a big week of tastings or dinners.

It's a significant part of my (hopefully imminent) retirement plan, I'm hoping to last a bit longer than 10 years, be able to enjoy the good vintages I've bought at maturity and cherry pick the bargains from the good vintages to keep things going on a gradual wind-down. I go through about 10 dozen from the cellar a year in wine group dinners and tastings as well as normal drinking for two or more. A few dozen 'failures' go off to auction each year and as Ric mentioned, some that are 'excess to requirements' make their way to worthy recipients.

Here's a shot of the motor of the other hobby, a supercharged 95 HSV GTS, I do like fast cars too, the cars before this were a Rex, SV5000, VL Turbo, Cordia Turbo... and a Cortina wagon

Red Bigot wrote:Here's a shot of the motor of the other hobby, a supercharged 95 HSV GTS, I do like fast cars too, the cars before this were a Rex, SV5000, VL Turbo, Cordia Turbo... and a Cortina waggon

Stranger and stranger, before the dog mobiles amongst others, I had a Mazda MX6, (a succession of company Ford Fairmonts) a Mazda Capella Rotary, Triumph Stag and a bloody Cortina too!

Bring back the Cortina! Bring back the Cortina! Oi Oi Oi!!!



Matthew

Ric / RB

I meant no harm in my comments, I just find it difficult to grasp such large numbers, and recognizing the cellar the size of yours RB does mean that there would be a fair amount of upkeep to track of them all.

Now a question for you both, as you've been down this collecting path for quite a while. Have your tastes changed over the years in such a way to make a portion of your cellar redundant? I understand that you pass on wines that don't interest you, but was there a period where you thought "By gum, those 93 Hunter Cabernet's (replace with whatever fad you wish) are great, I'll stock up!!" AND then realised to your horror that it was all a mirage??

Cheers

Mark G

PS: RB what percentage of the cellar is other than australian?
PPS: Ford cortinas ... aah they bring back memories of youth

Mark G wrote:Ric / RB

I meant no harm in my comments, I just find it difficult to grasp such large numbers, and recognizing the cellar the size of yours RB does mean that there would be a fair amount of upkeep to track of them all.

Mark, No offence taken, I've been accused of greed and addiction a few times and I know I'm just executing a careful plan Re Upkeep, that's why I wrote the RB Cellar Master and have a notebook with a wireless network connection to do records maintenance in the cellar.

Mark G wrote:Ric / RB

Now a question for you both, as you've been down this collecting path for quite a while. Have your tastes changed over the years in such a way to make a portion of your cellar redundant? I understand that you pass on wines that don't interest you, but was there a period where you thought "By gum, those 93 Hunter Cabernet's (replace with whatever fad you wish) are great, I'll stock up!!" AND then realised to your horror that it was all a mirage??

Luckily my tastes (and those of my partner) haven't really changed in 20 years, I'm happy in my little rut and immensely enjoy most of the 10+ yo reds I bought 8+ years ago. I bought very few Hunter reds after the mid-80's and I'm buying more proportionately from old and emerging small makers, but it's all red and mostly shiraz and cab or blends. My tastes haven't changed much, but what and where I buy is purely a function of perceived quality and value.

Same for cars, bang-for-buck with a few rough edges wins over high-priced ultimate refinement, I might lust after top Bordeaux and M3's but I buy Coonawarra and MR Cab and noisey but fun V8s and turbo buzz-boxes.

Mark G wrote:PS: RB what percentage of the cellar is other than australian?
PPS: Ford cortinas ... aah they bring back memories of youth

Non-Oz accounts for about 2%, mostly French bubbly, a few Bordeaux and the odd Rhone.

I also had a 63 Cortina GT in the mid-late 60's, nice car until the gearbox broke and the valve-train wore out.

I took my cellar up to between 1500-2000 bottles in various locations for the beginning of last year, but have since through dedicated drinking and culling, managed to get it down to just over 200 bottles, with a further 200 or so likely to be sent on their way to auction.
I have had a change in tastes, and have stripped my cellar down to the "really love" rather than the nice to have/good/bargain/hyped wines. As PLCB has said before, once you start passing on wines, it gets easier and easier!
Basically it got to the stage where I wanted to focus on other things as well as vino. I figure I'm at a good cellar size at the moment - I'm still young enough to be buying for the next 20 years or so without having to worry about ageability, and I know that just about every bottle in there at the moment is one that will knock my socks off. Really. I couldn't say that at the beginning of last year.
Everyone's going to have different ideas about this - and I'm sure that in 20 years or so my own cellaring patterns will change again, but right now I'm happy to have a few bottles of all the gems I found when I was "hard core" about wine in the last few years.

Cheers,

S.

Ok I will contribute to the 'mines bigger than yours thread'.

328 Bottles - Those with over 1000 in my book are either addicted or too rich . I drink a bottle or two a week and are firmly in the camp that most wine doesnt IMPROVE after 5 years in the cellar. It may hold and change but it doesnt improve.

54% NZ (62% of that red)
42% Aussie (83% of that red)
3% French
1% Other

70% Red = (46% Cabs and cab blends, 31% Shiraz, 13% Merlot, 6% Pinot, 4% others)

28% White = (74% Riesling, 17% Chardonnay, 5% GW, 3% Sauvignon Blanc)

1% Sparkling

As for cars, mine has cost way more than my wine habit this year...damn old 3L sports cars!!!

Craig(NZ) wrote: I ... am firmly in the camp that most wine doesnt IMPROVE after 5 years in the cellar. It may hold and change but it doesnt improve.

Quite true, but I don't buy much from the 'most wine' section

Red Bigot wrote:Here's a shot of the motor of the other hobby, a supercharged 95 HSV GTS, I do like fast cars too, the cars before this were a Rex, SV5000, VL Turbo, Cordia Turbo... and a Cortina wagon

WOW.....Is it red Brian? My Kwaka ZZR1100 is - doesn't need forced induction either, other than ram-air at high speed. Haven't taken it over 150 mph.

My wine collection though struggles to stay above 100 btls. Compulsive induction?

Cheers

daz

Daz,

It's a stealthy dark blue, but with the amount of stone chips etc it could end up red, haven't decided on a re-paint job jet.

I've never been brave enough to tackle fast two-wheelers, I'm not that much into broken bones and leather either