How are you tracking with respect to your 2016 wine goals?

Now that we’re more than a 1/3 of the way into this year, we’ve seen a number of lists come and go; Berserker Day is well in the rear-view mirror. It seems like a great time to assess - how are you tracking towards any wine goals you had for 2016? Better? Worse? Any surprises?

My only “surprise” is that I’m actually tracking to my 2016 goals almost perfectly. At the end of last year, I made the mistake at looking at my spend on Cellartracker, and it was a number that made me gasp. Basically for the last three years I’ve been spending about twice what I was really comfortable with, and definitely not with any kind of focus. The lack of focus wasn’t a bad thing - I’ve been learning all along, which is all good. But the spend without clear purpose didn’t really thrill me.

I vowed to make 2016 a year where I focus on consuming from my existing cellar, save for one list and a few purchases on Berserker, as well as an upcoming trip to Napa, all of which I’ve budgeted for. I’ve unsubscribed (as much as it pains me) from emails from all my favorite wine retailers/auction houses. No splurging. No impulse purchases.

I’ve just continued working through my existing inventory. Putting less energy into purchasing wine and more into what I think I want my 2017 goals to be. So far, so good.

Goals??

Not sure I have any, per se. But I do want to drink down some things and try to drink poorer befitting my poor purchasing power.

I have reduced my purchases, which was my principal goal. Less than a case in March and less than a case in April and nothing so far in May.

My goal was to reduce purchases and I have. About 15% below the pace of last year, but close to 50% lower compared to 2 years ago. Lots of good releases coming up though.

I have not failed to achieve a single such goal. I have, however, failed to set any such goals.

Goals = work. Wine = fun

My goal was to reduce purchases, bottle quantity and overall cash. I have skipped a number of releases so far and have deleted most retailer emails without reading them. I am below where I was last year but not as much as I had hoped. A trip to OR in January didn’t help my goals but I have done well otherwise.

Can’t say I have specific goals other than finding more Burgundy my wife and I like that doesn’t cost a fortune. So far, so good - but the journey wasn’t cheap.

I’m still buying too much. My wife is pregnant and we already have two girls so there isn’t much wine being consumed these days.

However, I did want to focus my purchases and have done so just as planned.

I feel good about where I stand.

This has a VERY solid chance at being my post of the year.

I must say…very well played sir!

It’s funny, as I feel as though my wine purchases have increased substantially after kids. I have a 5 year old son and a 3 year old daughter, and for the most part, our “release” is drinking good wine after we manage to get them both to sleep.

Then again…I may just be looking for a reason to drink more wine, so don’t listen to me.

+1

Totally f*cked! Isn’t that the right answer?

Cheers,

Hal

Except that I didn’t fail to set any - it never occurred to me that there could be such a thing. I buy wine. I drink wine. That seems to work itself out.

I spent the last 5+ hours loading racks (lot of it is ladder work) with 15 cases of wine that has been trickling in for the last few months. I am such a loser and a complete failure with my goals. I do have a lot of great wine though

My immediate goal was to be at 1500 bottles by year end - looks like a long shot at this point.

Ok - How about this - My goal is to increase consumption and thereby decrease my children’s inheritance.

That’s my goal as well, and yes, it seems to work out fine. My biggest “goal” for the short term (until around Oct.) is not to buy any wine that requires shipping.

Cracking thread this one. Looking back at my Christmas list (Dear Reyes Magos, I have been a very good boy this year … | undertheflor.com)

1.Saca 2/11 of the 2012 Callejuela Manzanilla de Añada - IN PROCESS
2.Volume II of the Pitijopos - IN PROCESS
3.Willy Perez’s Barajuela fino (and the oloroso, the Samaruco and the Garum while you are there) - DONE
4.Primitivo Collantes’ new wine from Finca Matalian - DONE
5.The 2015 Palmas (and a fino en rama etc) - TO DO
6.Ramiro Ibañez’s Pandorga (and the new Encrucijado when she comes) - DONE
7.The 2004 Savagnin Vignes de Mon Pere de Jean-Francois Ganevat - TO DO
8.A 70 year old Toro Albala Convent selection (ahem, “the” 70 year old) - WEDNESDAY NIGHT!
9.The Barbadillo Reliquia Palo Cortado - ACQUIRED
10.One of these biologically aged, oxidized Ruedas that are said to be hidden in family vaults up there - TO DO

Pretty good I would say, three of the ten have been done and four more are on the way to being done in the coming days. Maybe I should slow down in fact!

Surprisingly successful. Only 12 bottles of wine purchased so far this year (+ 1 Quina and 1 Armagnac). Expenditures are down to 1/3 of last year’s at this time. I’ve been drinking more than I’ve been buying for the first time in years. Feels pretty good.

The fact that my storage is still overpacked means I need to stay the course but I do have a few planned purchases for later this year. One small bid in at the Koch auction which I don’t expect to win and a bunch of 2015 Germans.

On 5/11 I’ll have gone 2 months without buying any wine.

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