When I was twenty one a friend of mines father bought a very big hotel, with the purchase came a wine cellar. Around this time I had just opened up a wine shop. I really had no idea what I was doing at the time, but my partner taught wine classes at the local college and he knew everything about wine.
So we took a trip to the hotel to check out the cellar. He was like a kid in a candy shop it was nuts 1967 Mondavi Reserve Cab, 1969 Beringer Private Reserve Cab, all kinds of crazy bottles, you wouldn't believe how many cases were there and the new owner of the hotel didn't really want it. We set out to see of there was a market for the great grapes. The problem we ran into is that we didn't know how to price it and this was in the late 80's and early 90's there was no ebay to look it up. The only way you could get the value was to look at auctions. But then we couldn't certify that the wine was stored correctly, so we really couldn't sell any. Another issue was sadly enough the clients were almost scared to buy it, they just did not know enough about it, they simply had never seen it before. Any store or restaurant operator that takes the effort to sell aged wines is doing a great job, they are taking the extra steo to give the best product they can. So buy them all of them if you can afford it.
Making money is a huge thing but if there was one thing I was happy about it was not selling those wines. My friends and I would play monopoly drinking Mondavi Reserve from 1967 by the case!! We would have parties with wine when most people were buying kegs, I mean we were 21 when was the last time you heard 21 year olds getting a case of wine to hang out(and we aren't talking about the 2 for $5.00 bottled) those days made wine lovers out of my friends and I for ever.
What is a shame is that aged wines aren't more accessible in retail outlets and especially in restaurants. You can buy these wines on Ebay or other sites around the web, they are more accessible now but people need to try them so they understand how great a bottle of wine could be. Do not think you have to store only expensive wine they can be $10.00 bottles and put them in the basement for five years, have a blind tasting and I bet you those bottles beat out anything that isn't aged no matter the price. Please do yourself and the grapes a favor and get some wine no matter the price store it in the basement, or anywhere where there isn't to much light and temperature changes. Then just forget about them for five years, you will thank me, believe me and don't forget to have your monopoly board handy.
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The source of this article came from Robert Dehko, he has been in the wine and food industry for over 17 years. The website is http://www.thebestgrapes.com it is a website for wine lovers that have a love for the best grapes!! also check out http://hairsnotfair.com
