What categories in your cellar are diminishing and not being replaced?

I have been drinking and collecting wine for the the better part of three decades. My 800 bottle cellar has morphed over the years in terms of variety and there are two distinct categories for me that are being phased out as I drink them and not replace them. Those two categories are Southern Rhone (mainly CDP and some Gigondas) and Brunello di Montalcino. I have begun to realize that I am just not a fan of Grenache in the case of CDP. I have enjoyed a few over the years, but most of them are simply underwhelming…and many are higher end wines with stellar reviews. In the case of Brunello it is not the Sangiovese because I like other wines with this varietal as a blend, but very few have ever been pleasing for me and I have had many, and mostly higher end Brunellos for the most part. Anyway, I would be curious if any others feel this way about those categories, or curious to hear any thoughts on other categories that have underwhelmed you in general.

Old Bordeaux. They are my cellar defenders, to protect my old California reds, which are much harder to replace, at any price.

California cabs. I rarely buy them anymore. I open them pretty regularly for friends that I know like them, but I don’t long for them and rarely even gaze at them in wine shops.

The pricing doesn’t encourage me, either.

Very similar trends. The higher the concentration and alcohol, the less likely I am to drink it. Includes CdP, big cabernets, etc. My age and health also are pushing me rapidly in this direction…

CdP and wine from Napa / Sonoma.

Still buying Rhone, both Southern and Northern, just not CdP.

For central Cali, still buying Ridge, but most everything else has shifted north, like Briceland and Cabot from Humboldt or Patty Green and Longplay from OR.

Red Burgundy is dwindling in my cellar simply because of the price rises over the last decade. Whilst I enjoy them they simply don’t seem to be good value anymore. Northern Rhône has also diminished. Back with the vintages of the 1980s it was relatively lean and savoury. Since then there seem to be more simplistic fruit and oak blends that I don’t find as interesting to drink.

Definitely buying and drinking less cab. Been recognizing the trend for a while, so the slower consumption still draws it down. It’s just not as versatile with food, and the QPR for really good cab isn’t great. The stylistic changes, growing in less desirable locations in NV and the rest of Northern California, all contribute.

Also S. Rhone, although luckily I had already begun shifting away from it. Just doesn’t merit cellar treatment. I buy Vieux Donjon most years, and will buy CdP/Gigondas if the price is comparable to better CdR, but that’s mostly for immediate consumption. I can’t understand collecting Grenache based wines that won’t hold up well, never mind improve.

PN is down. QPR and hit or miss quality or style are a factor, but as more nebbiolo-based wines become accessible from the cellar (or some that drink young), a lot of what I wanted from PN is already being satisfied.

Once I caught the nebbiolo bug, it started crowding most things out. Brunello and other Sangio held their own, and Syrah might have grown a little, but everything else gave up space on the table and in the cellar.

California pinot noir is being replaced by Oregon.

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Jura wines. Was crazy for Ganevat and Puffeney for a while, but not so much anymore…

Italian wines are decreasing as a % of the cellar; I pretty much only buy a lil from Sicily, some barolo and Valtellina.

I’m drinking down california cabernet, bordeaux, and sauternes, but that’s mostly because the cellar was so imbalanced in that direction to begin with.

Zinfandel and Pinot are not getting replaced at the moment. Spending some time with Grenache and Syrah and Cabs for reds, but mostly I’m filling up on Sparkling and Riesling.

Italian Barolos and Brunellos as well as red Burgundies are going down without replacement. Burgundy QPR is past the point where it makes sense for me given my tastes, and I’ve become much more a fan of Italian whites over their reds.

Bordeaux.I like them mature and I am 70 years old.

Chateauneuf du Pape has been in decline for years. I’ve overbought Cali whites and reds, so I’m holding off for a while on the likes of D&R, Ceritas, Enfield, Arnot Roberts, Liquid Farm, Rhys. I try to buy a little from all of them each year to support them, but not the case purchases I used to. I’m probably dropping Montebello soon.
I had stopped buying Bordeaux and Piedmont due to my advancing age, but 2016 Piedmont and 2019 Bordeaux broke my resolve. I’ll look at them as incentive to strive for longevity.
I’m still buying way too much Champagne, although “too much Champagne” is an oxymoron.

Cheers,
Warren

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Zinfandel and PN are decreasing in favor of a broad range of Italian wines (mostly red for the moment). Haven’t bought Bdx in 20 years and very few CA cabs in the last 10, now I’m rebounding a bit by buying: Beta and Bedrock.

As we approach age 50, of the major regions, pretty much everything except Riesling, Champagne and daily drinkers are in drink down mode. Bordeaux, CA cab, Burgundy and Piedmont because we have enough and like it aged. The first two of those we haven’t bought in years. Burgundy purchases have been declining as prices increase and our stash matures. I said I was done with Piedmont with the 2013 vintage, but I slipped with 2016. Rhone, all other new world, and dessert wine have been diminishing because we don’t really want much of it anymore.

German Riesling, got the bug so stocked up and now it just sits. Also CdP, cuz I figure I can buy a recent vintage if I ever run out. I still like Grenache-based wines a lot, but if I buy right now it is Garnacha.

GSM trending down. Sparklers trending up!

My purchases indicate Burgundy, Champagne and Germany wines are what I have been purchasing the most the last several years. So, even though I drink more Burgundy and German wines than anything else, my guess is that as a percentage of my cellar these are going up and everything else is going down.