Cellar Diversity...again

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.

This has been discussed quite a bit in the past.

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

Of course, don’t forget that there is so much diversity in CA wine that it’s not necessarily a homogeneous collection. Just saying . . .

My cellar is a lot larger than 1000 bottles and is >95% French

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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 [wow.gif] ) showed me his huge walk-in locker. Almost all CA wine.

Again, knee jerk reaction by most will be negative. And if all he/she has is a certain style of CA wine, then I get it . . .

They like CA wines…?
[cheers.gif]

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Similarly, I’m >95% French as well.

[cheers.gif] [cheers.gif]

Homogenius!

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How big is California? Doesn’t it warrant a more specific definition than just ‘CA wine’?

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Glenn P. wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 6:02 pm
how does this happen.
They like CA wines…?
[cheers.gif]

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.

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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.

As well as other winery staff, is the main reason my cellar is over 50% Washington.

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OP is trying to show he knows wine, but it’s not working. :sob::sob:

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I don’t think that’s fair. I suspect they just believe diversity increases one’s understanding and therefore enjoyment of wine.

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Fill your cellar with what strikes your fancy, and let the haters hate.

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Simps gonna simp.

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!

I guess sometimes we need to remind ourselves that classified growths are only a small fraction of Bordeaux wine.

I get both sides.

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?).

Dan Kravitz