Stop Hoarding your wine!
As a friend of mine always likes to say when he opens an extremely rare, expensive bottle and I give him that wide eyed stare of disbelief: “What am I going to do, die with it?”
You know something, he’s right.
How many of our treasured bottles of wine will continue to go unopened while we wait for that one special occasion, at which disappointment ensues because it’s now past it’s prime? Hopefully the frequency of that happening is minute, but wine collectors should make it a habit to periodically look for wine that needs to be opened soon.
A good way to do this is with a spreadsheet. A friend of mine showed me his method of cellar tracking which includes a “drink by” date on every wine. They move to the top of his list as the time approaches. He heads over to his storage facility, pulls the bottles, and enjoys them without hesitation. If your uncertain about when that date is, check out recommendations from the professionals, like Robert Parker, Stephen Tanzer or Wine Spectator. If you still aren’t sure, ask a forum like Mark Squires BB, someone is sure to offer sound advice.
Trophy wines and all, they must be opened. Drink them before they’re undrinkable.
Read: Carpe diem: Drink, don’t hoard, wine
By Paul Gregutt [Seattle Times]
