Like a stone thrown into a pond, the ripples of wine fraud impact more than just one collector’s cellar. What happens when a professional wine reviewer can’t tell a fake bottle from a real one by taste? Collectors rely on professional reviews for accuracy, but when these reviews are compromised by fraud, it’s virtually impossible…
It happens to me all the time: I get obsessed with a new varietal, and I buy so much of it that I dig myself into a wine rut. That succulent Australian Syrah I tried last year might put me down the path of Mollydooker, then Torbreck, then Penfolds, and before I realize what’s happening,…
Whenever I see an amazing deal on wine, I’m tempted to invest in it, even if the wine itself doesn’t excite me very much. Last year, I spent about $350 on two cases of wine that wasn’t collectible because I thought I was getting them for a steal; almost 12 months later, a few of those bottles…
Some of us don’t have the time nor patience to wait for a wine to mature by 2045. If you’re the type of collector who wants a wine that will last, but that you can still safely drink in its youthful vigor now, 2013 Realm Cabernet Sauvignon from the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is a…
One of the best hotel experiences I ever had was when I stayed at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. While there, we dined at the hotel’s famous restaurant, D.O.C.G., and got the chance to sample some of its 500 Italian wines. There were dozens of wines on that list that I had never heard of…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: –Robert Mondavi Winery –Silver Oak Cellers –Chateau Pichon Lalande –Chateau Cheval Blanc A Wine Berserkers forum member once considered buying a mixed case of 1970s and 1980s California and French wine, including some Robert Mondavi, Silver Oak, and Pichon-Lalande. The only potential problem that this forum member noticed was that the…
I once visited the home of a magnificent wine taster. The 70-year-old collector had developed an incredible palate for both Burgundy and aged scotch in his lifetime, and could tell you everything about Cote de Nuits. I assumed he would have a massive wine cellar in his home, but I found that he kept all…
Just five years after George Washington became the first president of the United States, he bought six pipes (that’s 756 gallons) of Madeira wine. To say that Washington was a wine enthusiast is probably the understatement of the last two centuries. Even before the Revolutionary War, wine played an important, underlying role in the U.S.…
Whenever I decide to give someone a bottle of wine for the holidays, I always have to take a buddy with me to the wine shop. Why? Because I know I’ll walk away with one gift bottle…and about 20 other bottles for myself. My buddy is there to make sure I get only what’s on…
When collectors ask me how often they should organize their wine cellars, they give me a strange look when I respond, “Ideally, never.” The best wine cellars are those that stay organized without much additional effort on your part, and as an organization expert, I’ve helped many clients accomplish this goal. I once met a…
Two years ago, at a wine bar’s tasting event, I sat next to a man who described himself as “a proud California Cabernet nutter,” and who drank New World wines almost exclusively. We tasted an Oregon Pinot Noir that he seemed to enjoy, but when the host brought out a bottle of Bordeaux, the man…
The distinctive smells of a wine that has gone bad—often reminiscent of moldy wet newspaper and acetone—are the last things anyone wants to experience when they uncork a bottle of fine wine. However, you can sometimes spot the telltale signs that wine has gone bad in storage before you even open the bottle. Knowing how to spot common red flags is a great way to avoid buying spoiled bottles on the secondary market. It can also warn you of potential storage issues so you can correct any problems before they ruin the other bottles in your collection.