Keys to the Cellar: Strategies and Secrets of Wine Collecting

Having a well-stocked cellar enables you to planahead, ensuring you'll have the right wines toenhance your meals and letting you transform an ordinary evening into an instant celebration by opening a choice bottle. Practically speaking, collecting can mean getting the best wine at the best price, because the bottles released today may be hard to come by or far more expensive by the time they're ready for drinking. And storing the wines yourself ensures they'll age under the best possible conditions. Creating a wine cellar is asource of perpetual pleasures, not the least of which is sharing and enjoying the fruits of your labor.

In his entertaining style, wine collecting expert Peter Meltzer describes four basic types of cellars:

Meltzer gives you the tools to project your wine needs and plan a cellar that fits your lifestyle, with suggestions for specific wines for each type of cellar. He shows how to navigate the various paths to buying wine, including locating the best retailers, attending auctions, and buying wine online.

Offering a strategic, personalized approach toplanning and stocking your cellar, Meltzer suggestscategorizing your wine purchases as "good,""better," and "best," with "good" encompassingcomparatively inexpensive wines you enjoy frequently. That way, you'll have wine for everyoccasion. However, if your heart is set on cellaringCalifornia cult wines or first growths fromcelebrated Bordeaux vintages such as 1982 or2000, this guide offers the keys for doing that, too.

You'll find much more to inspire and guide your collecting, including tips on storing wine properly, profiles of different wine collectors and how they assembled their prized collections, and the "fine print" on the little details, such as buying wines interstate and overseas and insuring your collection.

May your cellar be a continuing source of enjoyment, and may the memories of wine and good times shared linger long after the bottles are empty.

--Marvin R. Shanken, Editor and Publisher, Wine Spectator

"Peter Meltzer is an authoritative journalist, savvy collector,and urbane restaurant and wine list critic; he makes theideal companion and counselor for wine collectors."

--Michael Batterberry, Editor in Chief and Publisher, Food Arts

"Keys to the Cellar is fascinating, informative, and easy to read; with this book, you will truly understand the ins and outsof buying wines for your personal cellar."

--Kevin Zraly, educator and author of Windows on the World Complete Wine Course

A true wine-lover who knows the value of a well-aged bottle, Peter Meltzer both celebrates and demystifies wine collecting in Keys to the Cellar. His appreciation of fine wine flavors every page as he gives you a practical approach to building a collection that fits your preferences, your lifestyle, and your budget. You'll find information on:

* Buying and selling wine at auction, including valuable insider tips

* Bidding at online wine auctions

* Using the Web to calculate a wine's true value or locate a hard-to-find bottle

* Making the best use of fine wine merchants

* Storing and enjoying your wine--both every day and over the long term

As a bonus, this guide includes a user-friendly Wine Spectator auction index, an invaluable tool for researching the "going rate" for more than 500 top auctioned wines. Whether you are just getting started or want to enhance your collection, this is a book you'll savor again and again--like your favorite fine wines.

—Marvin R. Shanken, Editor and Publisher, Wine Spectator

"Peter Meltzer is an authoritative journalist, savvy collector,and urbane restaurant and wine list critic; he makes theideal companion and counselor for wine collectors."

—Michael Batterberry, Editor in Chief and Publisher, Food Arts

"Keys to the Cellar is fascinating, informative, and easy to read; with this book, you will truly understand the ins and outsof buying wines for your personal cellar."

—Kevin Zraly, educator and author of Windows on the World Complete Wine Course

A true wine-lover who knows the value of a well-aged bottle, Peter Meltzer both celebrates and demystifies wine collecting in Keys to the Cellar. His appreciation of fine wine flavors every page as he gives you a practical approach to building a collection that fits your preferences, your lifestyle, and your budget. You'll find information on:

• Buying and selling wine at auction, including valuable insider tips
• Bidding at online wine auctions
• Using the Web to calculate a wine's true value or locate a hard-to-find bottle
• Making the best use of fine wine merchants
• Storing and enjoying your wine—both every day and over the long term

As a bonus, this guide includes a user-friendly Wine Spectator auction index, an invaluable tool for researching the "going rate" for more than 500 top auctioned wines. Whether you are just getting started or want to enhance your collection, this is a book you'll savor again and again—like your favorite fine wines.

Preface.

Introduction.

A Cellar to Fit Your Lifestyle.

Relating to Your Retailer.

Buying and Selling at Auction.

Wine on the Web.

Storing and Enjoying Your Wine.

Collecting: A Brief Background.

Beyond Wine: The Accessories.

Top Auction Houses.

Auction Records.

The Wine Spectator Auction Index.

Wine-Collecting Terms and Jargon.

Bibliography.

Index.