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Original poster

Wine that will age well?

14 replies

AvaLou · 12/08/2006 13:02

I read this idea somewhere a while back, and now we are looking into it.
We want to get a case of wine for each of our children to give as a 21st birthday present.
Ideally something that will taste fantastic and have increased in value by then.

Of course this presumes they will have a refined palate and not be Bacardi Breezer drinkers. Or indeed raid the cellar and crack it open when they are 15 and having a secret house party. LOL

So where do we start, is it best to visit a wine merchant for advice, or can anyone here give me some suggestions?

OP posts:

BrownBeetroot · 12/08/2006 13:03

Yes vissit a winemerchant or go to a chateau. we have bought wine for god children (and some for ourselves) to lay down. I am sure you can read up on it online somewhere

Original poster

AvaLou · 12/08/2006 13:28

Thanks, Not many chateaus in London though!
I might wait until we go to Italy in December and buy some there.

OP posts:

Carmenere · 12/08/2006 13:30

Berry Bros are great for this. They will advise you what will be perfect for drinking when your dc are 21.

Original poster

AvaLou · 12/08/2006 13:38

Oh wow, I'd never heard of them,their site is amazing, but my Credit Card won't thank you for that referral!LOL
Is it best to go into the store or can you email for advice?
Although, looking at it I want to go to the store!

OP posts:

Carmenere · 12/08/2006 13:42

Well their store is amazing but if I were you I would definitely either go in or ring and speak to an expert and then you could probably buy over the net. I love wine

Original poster

AvaLou · 14/08/2006 17:05

I forgot to say, but my OH went there yesterday on your reccomendation and said it is an amazing shop! Almost like a museum trip (especially for a wine fan!)
He just bought couple of bottles for drinking now , but we will certainly be using them to buy some bottles for the cases, and maybe just for indulgence! LOL!

OP posts:

Thomcat · 14/08/2006 17:09

Vintage Wine Online

Original poster

AvaLou · 14/08/2006 17:18

Thanks for the link, but I want wine that will become vintage, rather than the stuff that already is.

OP posts:

CountessDracula · 14/08/2006 17:28

A friend of mine has a company that does this.
here I have wine with him for dd's 21st.

They have just had a baby too, check out the cutie photo! Ask for Caspar or Victoria, tell them your budget, they will advise you of what is good. They will also keep it in Octavian for you so you are sure that it is stored correctly if you dont' have your own cellar.

Thomcat · 14/08/2006 20:06

Avalou, you can lay their stuff down for years. It may already been vintage, but you can buy a young vintage and lay it down for another 10 - 20 years or something.

Coolmama · 15/08/2006 15:25

Hi Avalou - you have a number of options -

you can go to a wine retailer like Berry bros., Justerini and Brooks, Jeraboams etc but you will pay a premium because it is retail -
you can go to a wine merchant - my best one is Farr Vitners - they are absolutely amazing in terms of competitive pricing, but they have a minimum order of £500 ! - so only good for a big order.
They also assume that you have a idea of what you are doing so don't really offer a "retail service" -
Get a copy of Robert Parkers wine-buying guide book - he is the beginning and the end of all things wine and will give you a great idea of what is a "good" wine.
if you want to lay wine down - you can either decide to splash out on a fabulous year (the 2005 Bordeaux is supposed to be the best year ever and is all the talk of the wine world) - or you can buy "en primeur" which is basically buying the wine before it is bottled - but can be risky as it is a bit like buying futures etc IYSWIM

A good port might be a better idea as it also ages very well.

HTH

workingmama · 15/08/2006 17:17

Avalou

Just a couple of thoughts to add to the good advice you've already received:

might be a nice idea to try to buy wine from the year each child was born? (sorry if that's what you're already planning - wasn't sure from your post). Depending on how old they are though, you may have to wait a few years (e.g. 2005 wine probably won't be on the market until about 2007)
magnums tend to age better than single bottles so you might want to go for a few magnums instead of a case of single bottles.
if you're going to buy it fairly soon, you need to think about where you'd store it (unless you buy it from someone like Berry Bros who'll do it for you). If the wine gets too hot or cold, it might not last the aging process as well.

Last thing - if you still haven't found what you're looking for, my husband is an independent wine merchant and might be able to help you choose something (from low to high budget). He's French and mainly supplies French wine (surprise surprise), so feel free to CAT me if you're interested.

Hope you find what you're looking for - it's a lovely idea.

Original poster

AvaLou · 15/08/2006 17:33

Thanks again, yes we want wine from the year they are born, and will just pray they will appreciate it if not we'll drink it at their 21st's, LOL
At the moment we have a huge cellar, but our new house doesn't so we will probably store it at DH's mothers house.
I am very interested in advice from your husband, and will CAT you now (if I figure out how to).
Will he be able to advise on Italian wine at all, we want at least some as our children are half Italian.
Thanks.

OP posts:

workingmama · 15/08/2006 17:41

Avalou

Yes, he used to sell Italian wine for years before he set up on his own (he only stocks one Italian wine himself at the moment as he's just starting out. All his other wines are French) so he should be able to give you some advice. If you CAT me with an idea of any particular areas you're interested in (not sure whether you've already got some idea?) and a rough idea of budget, I'll ask him what he recommends.

If you're interested in French wine too, let me know as well and I'll ask him for some suggestions. We're based in London so, depending on what you want, he might be able to supply you direct (he delivers in London).

Hope that helps.

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