Bidding on bottles: The market for vintage wine
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Today, many people are not only entertaining with wine, but they are building collections of wine. Rare bottles, special dates, designer vineyards are only some of the traits that are attracting wine collectors to high priced bottles hosting great grapes. The interest in collecting wine has long been associated with the art world and elite collectors. Now, wine collectors are nearly outpacing art collectors on the international stage. It's a brave new market that is both exciting and delicious. You may be surprised to learn that at international wine auctions buyers are making sky high bids to acquire examples of the vintner's art.
So, would you know the difference between a full-bodied Bordeaux and a stunning Shiraz?
As with any collecting endeavor, you need to learn the basics and develop a collecting strategy. Here's what to look for inside your next collectible bottle---and it's not a paper ship!
Labels
You can learn a lot from a wine label. Look for alcohol strength as it relates to the body of the wine. Note whether the label states that the wine is estate bottled. Estate bottled means that the wine was bottled on the property where the grapes were grown. This is desired and will impact the quality of the wine.
Locations
Wines are produced all over the world. From Napa, California to Naples, Italy, wine is an acquired process. For instance, French grapes are typically named for the region in which the grapes are grown. Conversely, American wines usually list their origin and winery name on the label. Labels are full of information, but corks can provide additional notes about the authenticity of the bottling. While smelling a cork is fun, they are only presented to the drinker or collector to demonstrate a wine's authenticity.
Learn the lingo
The words associated with collecting wine is new to most people. While these wine terms seem straightforward, ask any seasoned wine aficionado what they really mean and you'll get several answers. For instance, do you know the wine's body from its nose? Learn the lingo to be sure you are choosing a great bottle of vino. For instance,
Tannin: The acid found in the skins, stems, and seeds of grapes.
Body: Body refers to the alcohol content in a bottle of wine. The higher the alcohol content by volume, the heavier the body of a wine. The alcohol by volume for a light bodied wine would be 8-10 percent. A full-bodied wine would be 13-14 percent.
Depth: Depth is the complexity of a wine offered by different grape flavors and characteristics.
Clarity: The visual appearance of the wine is known as its clarity.
Acidity: The neutrality of grape acids is essential for a good structure of a wine.
Nose: The fragrance or smell of various aspects of a wine.
To best evaluate a wine, follow these steps.
First, look at the wine, smell its aroma, swirl it to allow the wine to open up. Then, this is the best part, give it a taste. Knowing whether you have a winner takes time and experience. When it comes to fine wine, you need to sip some wine to find the one that's sensational to you. This is not a bad way to collect quality and enjoy your collection too.
Ph.D. art and antiques appraiser, YouTube star with 120 million views on her channel www.YouTube.com/DrLoriV , and award-winning media personality, Dr. Lori Verderame presents her popular Antiques Appraisal Comedy Tour to live audiences nationwide. She appears on Netflix, History channel, Discovery, CBS & ABC networks. Want to know what your stuff is worth? or learn how to Sell your Old Stuff for Profit? Visit www.DrLoriV.com or call (888) 431-1010.