James Suckling on Curating a Wine Collection at Home

James Suckling is a legendary wine critic in the wine industry. He has tasted more than 200,000 wines in his forty-year career. As a journalist, he served as the former senior editor and European Bureau Chief of Wine Spectator, where he worked for almost three decades. In 2010, James launched his own wine website featuring comprehensive tasting reports, with wine ratings and tasting notes, of wines from around the world.

Collecting wine involves buying, storing, and aging wine, often in a personal wine cellar or refrigerator. Of course, wine collectors also enjoy the bottles of wine that they acquire from wine shops, wineries, and auction houses. Although often coupled with purchasing rare or expensive wines, every wine collection is unique; some focus on curating bottles from specific winemakers, wine regions, varietals, or vintages.

Here are some factors to consider before you dive into the world of collecting wine:

1. 1. Budget: Wine collecting can be an expensive hobby. Especially if you’re interested in collecting rare wines, be prepared to shell out several thousand dollars for a single bottle of fine wine if that’s your fancy. However, don’t let price point dissuade you. The best wines are the ones you enjoy drinking, whether expensive or not.
2. 2. Space: You need plenty of square footage for a full-on wine cellar at home. However, you can still keep a wine collection in an apartment. Ideally, you could store your wines in a wine fridge, but a dark, cool, dry place will suffice in a pinch. Be mindful of the temperature and humidity levels, though—wines don’t do well in variable climates.
3. 3. Time: Although wine collecting doesn’t have to be a time-consuming hobby, it does require a certain level of attention. You want to guarantee that you can rotate bottles as needed, monitor climate conditions, and drink bottles at peak times.

Here are some tips from James Suckling on curating your wine collection:

1. 1. Start small. “When you’re thinking about storing wines and putting together a cellar,” James says, “it doesn't have to be [a lot of] bottles. You can start off with a few bottles.” James recalls his early days of wine collecting: “I remember when I started collecting wine, I had a few cases under my bed or even under the stairs.” Rather than rush out and buy dozens of fine wines, start by buying a few wines of value that you’d like to age or break out for a special occasion in the future.
2. 2. Ensure proper storage. Proper wine storage is paramount to cellaring valuable wines. “The important thing,” James says, “in cellaring wine, is to make sure the temperature remains stable.” Ideally, you want to store wine in a cellar or wine fridge at or under 20 degrees Celsius (James stores his wines at 18 degrees Celsius), with a humidity level between 60 and 68 percent. If you have too much humidity, the wine labels can fall off, and the corks can expand. The corks will expand and contract if the temperature fluctuates too much, leading to seepage and premature aging.
3. 3. Organize your collection. There are many different methods for organizing your wine cellar, from labeling every bottle to digital apps that help keep track of your collection. However, James recommends organizing by region and vintage. “You can put them by categories, [like] ‘Italian,’” he says “Then you break it down: Tuscany, Barolo, southern Italy. Then you can go by vintage.”
4. 4. Age the right wines. Winemakers suggest drinking some wines immediately, while others can benefit from spending years in a cellar. “[If] you’re getting your Pinot Grigio from Italy for ten bucks, obviously there’s no reason to age that—you want to drink that right away.” However, when buying wines for your cellar, look for whites and reds from classic regions like Napa Valley, Bordeaux, and Burgundy. Then, speak with the wine merchant or sommelier to devise a strategy for how long you should age each wine and for what purpose.
5. 5. Inspect the bottle’s condition. Although it’s a good idea to inspect every bottle of wine before buying it, it’s crucial when purchasing rare wines. Ensure that there are no cracks or chips in the bottle, that the label is completely intact, and that a good amount of wine remains. “If [the level of the wine is] too low,” James says, “let’s say below maybe three or four inches, there’s a good chance that it’s probably not in good condition, that it might be off.” A low wine level could indicate improper storage or poor cork quality.
6. 6. Make it personal. “[A] wine collection doesn’t mean masses of bottles,” James says. “It means bottles that you picked that mean something to you.” Rather than amassing a large, expensive collection, curate bottles that are valuable to you, whether because they remind you of a special moment or were given to you by a friend. Whatever the meaning is, curating a wine collection can be a fun way to remember and celebrate the joy of life.

Here are some additional tips to consider when putting together your wine collection:

1. 1. Stock up on ready-to-drink wines. Not all wines need to be aged or kept for special occasions. Some wine connoisseurs will maintain a separate wine fridge filled with their favorite ready-to-drink wines so that a glass of great wine is always close at hand.
2. 2. Equip your cellar. Not all cellars can host tastings, but keeping a corkscrew, decanter, and several glasses on hand will allow you to sample your collection when the mood strikes.
3. 3. Invest in fine wine. Naturally, some collectors wish to see a return on their investments. If that’s you, research which wines are known for increasing in value with age. For example, first-growth Bordeaux’s or Grand Cru wines from Burgundy are known to fetch a high price from wine lovers at auction houses.
4. 4. Go for variety. The best wine collections will include everything from Champagne to Pinot Noir to Chardonnay. Diversifying your collection challenges you to try new wines and makes the experience of collecting wine more exciting.

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