I've been reading up on wine collecting and a common piece of advice is to have a "collecting plan." I am curious if people on this forum have a plan, or if they tend to buy ports as they come up.
Personally I don't have any sort of plan other than to try as many ports as possible to see what I like and to jump on deals when I see them.
What do others do?
Bob
Collecting plan?
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Kris Henderson
- Posts: 378
- Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 7:11 pm
- Location: Seattle, Washington, United States of America - USA
Hi Robert,
It is a good idea to have some kind of a plan so you don't end up with a bunch of wines you don't like. If you are just beginning then what you are doing is good. Try a wide variety of wines to see what you like before making any large purchases.
Another good thing to have in your mind is how many bottles you "need". For example, if you want to open one bottle of Vintage Port per month and you like your VP on average to be 30 years old then your VP collection should stabilize at around 30 years * 12 bottles / year = 360 bottles. Most people can't go out and buy 360 bottles of Vintage Port with an average age of 30 years so plan to accumulate over time. If you buy 48 bottles of Vintage Port per year then in 10 years you will have your 360 bottle collection.
That said, I don't have much of a plan. I know I like nearly all styles of Port and don't have enough of it based on how old I like my Port and how often I would like to open a bottle so if I see a deal I'll generally jump on it, whether it is young or old.
A thought occured to me earlier today. My Port collection is very young. Mostly vintage 1994, 2000 and 2003. I have a few 85's and a small amount of older stuff. Since we are between vintage declarations, I should start acquiring a few older bottles here and there that are ready to drink and available for a good price.
It is a good idea to have some kind of a plan so you don't end up with a bunch of wines you don't like. If you are just beginning then what you are doing is good. Try a wide variety of wines to see what you like before making any large purchases.
Another good thing to have in your mind is how many bottles you "need". For example, if you want to open one bottle of Vintage Port per month and you like your VP on average to be 30 years old then your VP collection should stabilize at around 30 years * 12 bottles / year = 360 bottles. Most people can't go out and buy 360 bottles of Vintage Port with an average age of 30 years so plan to accumulate over time. If you buy 48 bottles of Vintage Port per year then in 10 years you will have your 360 bottle collection.
That said, I don't have much of a plan. I know I like nearly all styles of Port and don't have enough of it based on how old I like my Port and how often I would like to open a bottle so if I see a deal I'll generally jump on it, whether it is young or old.
A thought occured to me earlier today. My Port collection is very young. Mostly vintage 1994, 2000 and 2003. I have a few 85's and a small amount of older stuff. Since we are between vintage declarations, I should start acquiring a few older bottles here and there that are ready to drink and available for a good price.
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Rich Greenberg
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:21 am
- Location: Redwood City, California, United States of America - USA
Robert,
No real plan for me here as of yet. I'm pretty young in my port adventure, so I'm still trying to figure out if there are particular houses I like style-wise, playing around with the various "versions" of ports (vintage, LBV, etc, etc.) In a rough sense, my plan is to keep a reasonable supply of LBV and/or tawny around for regular drinking, and to pick up bottles of vintage port that are of drinkable age when I see either reasonable deals, or unknowns at a price that's "acceptable". Once I know more about what I like, I'll probably develop a loose plan of acquisition of ports that I wish to age, and back a decade or two for mid-term drinking.
Ok, so I guess I do have a plan, or at least an outline. Just need to fill in the details!
Rich
No real plan for me here as of yet. I'm pretty young in my port adventure, so I'm still trying to figure out if there are particular houses I like style-wise, playing around with the various "versions" of ports (vintage, LBV, etc, etc.) In a rough sense, my plan is to keep a reasonable supply of LBV and/or tawny around for regular drinking, and to pick up bottles of vintage port that are of drinkable age when I see either reasonable deals, or unknowns at a price that's "acceptable". Once I know more about what I like, I'll probably develop a loose plan of acquisition of ports that I wish to age, and back a decade or two for mid-term drinking.
Ok, so I guess I do have a plan, or at least an outline. Just need to fill in the details!
Rich
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Andy Velebil
- Posts: 16644
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- Location: Los Angeles, California, United States of America - USA
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No definite plans per se, but I plan on buying newer VP's for some time to come. Probably around the next 15 years or so. At that point I know I will still be buying younger VP's but not nearly as much. The next 15 years is to build up the cellar for my "wiser-years" after that. When I find good deals I am also buying older stuff, mainly from the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's, to back fill with older stuff.
I was also collecting Colheita's, but after the tasting for Roy's B-day I don't plan on holding Colheita's for long term anymore. Probably around 10-15 years max. Of course there is always the odd exception. But that is another thread/discussion unto itself.
As for tawny's, ruby's, Tawny with indication of age, etc. I just pick those up whenever I get good deals for short term drinking (within a year or 2).
after that. When I find good deals I am also buying older stuff, mainly from the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's, to back fill with older stuff.I was also collecting Colheita's, but after the tasting for Roy's B-day I don't plan on holding Colheita's for long term anymore. Probably around 10-15 years max. Of course there is always the odd exception. But that is another thread/discussion unto itself.
As for tawny's, ruby's, Tawny with indication of age, etc. I just pick those up whenever I get good deals for short term drinking (within a year or 2).
Andy Velebil Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used. William Shakespeare http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Robert O.
- Posts: 220
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- Location: New York, New York, United States of America - USA
From reading these posts I am starting to think I should at least come up wiith some sort of rough outline. It might make creating and sticking to a budget easier. Already I've spent my self imposed "vintage port allowance" until September but still find myself eyeing various ports. if I had plan, it might provide a little structure.
Of course, I still have some money left over for LBVs and some cheap tawnies. :)
Of course, I still have some money left over for LBVs and some cheap tawnies. :)
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Marc J.
- Posts: 955
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- Location: Malibu, California, United States of America - USA
Personally, I'll focusing on older vintages 30's, 40's, 50's & some 60's. I'm not really looking for anything younger than a '77, but with that being said I do tend to come across "deals" on younger vintages (80's & 90's) and when I find a bargain I tend to buy in quantity. These bottles form the backbone of what I'll consume in the near to medium term. This strategy allows me keep the older bottles in reserve for "special occasions". One other factor that influences my purchases is that I enjoy comparing a wide range of ports, therefore I seek out stellar bottles from the top tier of produers as well as some of the better vintages from some of the lesser known houses.
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Todd Pettinger
- Posts: 2022
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- Location: Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
Yikes - I feel like a kid who hasn't done his homework - so underprepared... I have to have a PLAN?!?!? 
At present, I can't really afford to have much of a structured plan. My salary and the Chief Financial Officer of the house does not permit a structured plan surrounding the purchase of port. However, my top-secret plan to take over the world... or at least the world of port is to spend what I can on the odd "good deal" I may find here or there, keep my eyes on what is happening on the auction market, in the retail sector, and always with an ear to moving to the UK, where I have been informed by a reliable source, that old VP flows through the streets like water and is cheap like borchst in Russia.
All kidding aside, I am like Rich, just starting out on this wonderful journey of discovery and trying to figure out what styles and producers I like the most. I will then probably try to back-fill my cellar with some of these producers.
I am trying to lay down a few cases of exclamation point years for me: 2001 (my wedding), 2003 (first child) and 2005 (second child.) Finding decent deals on 1977s also prompt my credit card to be produced (wife's birth year) and while I can't find any locally, a '76 (my own birth year) is something I am always half on the lookout for.
I plan to do a lot more purchasing in the future: when my mortgage is near to, or paid off. With the aggressive payments I am making now, coupled with two young kids, two jobs that underpay my wife and I, and life in general, my port-purchasing plan is more of a "enjoy what you can when you can, but keep in mind there are other things that take precedence at the moment."
Todd
At present, I can't really afford to have much of a structured plan. My salary and the Chief Financial Officer of the house does not permit a structured plan surrounding the purchase of port. However, my top-secret plan to take over the world... or at least the world of port is to spend what I can on the odd "good deal" I may find here or there, keep my eyes on what is happening on the auction market, in the retail sector, and always with an ear to moving to the UK, where I have been informed by a reliable source, that old VP flows through the streets like water and is cheap like borchst in Russia.
All kidding aside, I am like Rich, just starting out on this wonderful journey of discovery and trying to figure out what styles and producers I like the most. I will then probably try to back-fill my cellar with some of these producers.
I am trying to lay down a few cases of exclamation point years for me: 2001 (my wedding), 2003 (first child) and 2005 (second child.) Finding decent deals on 1977s also prompt my credit card to be produced (wife's birth year) and while I can't find any locally, a '76 (my own birth year) is something I am always half on the lookout for.
I plan to do a lot more purchasing in the future: when my mortgage is near to, or paid off. With the aggressive payments I am making now, coupled with two young kids, two jobs that underpay my wife and I, and life in general, my port-purchasing plan is more of a "enjoy what you can when you can, but keep in mind there are other things that take precedence at the moment."
Todd