I’m probably going to ruffle a few feathers with this one, but I am curious what the community has to say about this. I am aware of cellars with 1000 bottles or more that are 96% US…mostly CA. I just have to scratch my head and wonder how does this happen. I get that most people seem to start their journey in CA and then branch out. But, by the time you get to 1000 bottles shouldn’t the branching out have started? Have these folks just not gotten around to tasting wines from France, Italy, or Spain? Or, have they tasted them and just not found any to their liking? I would like to know what people think about these homogenous cellar habits.
It’s going to vary from person to person. But ultimately, I think it just comes down to whether or not you’re happy with your cellar. If a cellar with 96% CA wines fits your consumption needs, then it shouldn’t really matter what the percentages are
Some people just like CA wine. Some older guy at my offsite (forgot his name, but he told me he’s a somm, which is how you know someone is a somm ) showed me his huge walk-in locker. Almost all CA wine.
Glenn P. wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 6:02 pm
how does this happen.
They like CA wines…?
Yes nothing wrong with that. I would buy more Bordeaux but can’t afford it. I can buy Washington State wines for $60 and under and get exceptional quality so that is where I am currently buying.
Jeez. Maybe we find the quality, price, ease of access and winemaker relationships to more than enough satiate wine desires and see no need to move further?
Every time I think about branching out into European wines I am reminded how good my current holdings are and decide to pass.
Not everyone is interested in diversity of tastes. Or maybe they are just interested in a narrower set of variables than others. And yes, many people taste far and wide and end up staying in one area.
Sounds like the wine tariffs hit the US worse than I thought. I can find outstanding Bdx at $20-30, exceptional wines at $30-40. Couldn’t afford to drink this much if I had to dish out $60 for a bottle of wine every time!
Here I am in Maine, without a single bottle of Maine wine in my basement!
OTOH, while I’m heavy in French wine, and make much of my living importing it, it amounts to 75% of my ~1000 bottles. I also import wine from Argentina and Spain and they are about a combined 15%. Legally speaking, I import Italian wine, but I don’t market it as Italian, I consider it part of my Savoy (Savoie, Savoia) portfolio.
OTTH (on the third hand), I currently have wines from 18 countries. Oddly enough, even though some of their reds are wines I’ve enjoyed (I don’t like their generally popular Sauvignon Blancs), I don’t have a single bottle of New Zealand wine downstairs right now. England and Turkey, one each. If I could find a decent price on a good English bubbly, I’d be in for more (any reccos?).