CELLAR POLICY
1. OVERVIEW
As cellar space, wine and cellar records are expensive to maintain and there are budget constraints so the choice of wine to cellar is subject to this policy, which will change from time to time so as to reflect the perceptions of future requirements by the Committee.
This policy is intended to cover the following aspects of cellaring wine for The Wine and Food Society of Victoria Inc (WFSV) -:
a. Selection of suitable wines to cellar
b. Purchase price range of these wines
c. Quantity of a single wine to be purchased
d. Review/maintenance of wines in the cellar
2. INTRODUCTION
The cellaring of wine has many purposes depending on the intended use of the wine by the owner. For example a wine may be cellared for sentimental reasons, investment potential, library stocks of a winery etc.
The WFSV maintains a cellar for the sole purpose of having wines, of a very high standard, available for future functions. Consequently, wines will not be cellared for experimental or on an ad hoc basis as wines for these purposes can be purchased on an as needs basis.
The WFSV should only cellar those wines, which will improve with age, and as they will be scarce so they will be expensive in the future.
3. SELECTION OF WINE
The ageing of wine is only important if the wine will develop complexity and therefore be more enjoyable in the future. As this is very difficult to determine it will be better to err on the side of being conservative when choosing wine for the WFSV cellar.
3.1 LEVEL ONE SELECTION CRITERIA
As there are many wines to choose from the first question to ask reflects on the basic nature of a wine and that is whether it has been constructed for longevity. Some wines are made to capture the immediate freshness and then deteriorate rapidly as there is nothing in the wine to be enhanced with age - for example Frascati, Beaujolais Nouveau and most Australian Chardonnays.
Given that a particular wine has been constructed for longevity the next step is to ascertain the track record of ageing of previous vintages and the wine makers proposed time to age. Although this is a conservative approach it will not seriously reduce the range of wines available to cellar.
In practical terms the minimum time to cellar a wine would be two years.
A maximum time would be best characterised by the start of its best drinking being within 10 years of the vintage.
3.2 LEVEL TWO SELECTION CRITERIA
Track record of ageing can be further substantiated by a consideration of the combination of Location, Grape Variety(s) and Maker as well as generally accepted views on the success of a particular year.
This leads to a declaration of 'Approved Areas/Grape Variety(s)' -:
France
Champagne - Champagne (no still whites or reds)
Red Bordeaux
- Medoc, Haut Medoc, St Emilon, Pomerol
White Bordeaux
- Sauternes
- Loupiac
- Graves
Burgundy
- C?te de Nuits - Pinot Noir
- C?te de Beaune - Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Chablis
- Chardonnay
Northern Rhone
- Hermitage, Viognier, Marsanne, Rousanne
Southern Rhone
- Chateauneuf du Pape
- Gigondas
- Cote du Rhone
Alsace
- Gew?rztraminer
- Tokay d'Alsace
- Riesling
Italy
- Tuscany - Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot
- Emilia Romagna - Sangiovese, Cabernet
- Piedmont - Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto
USA
California - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon
Oregon - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Australia
- Vic - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz
- SA - Rhine Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet, Shiraz
- NSW - Semillon, Shiraz
- WA - Chardonnay, Cabernet
-Tas - Pinot Noir, chardonnay
- ACT - Shiraz
New Zealand
- Auckland - Pinot Noir
- Gisbourne - Chardonnay
- Hawkes Bay - Chardonnay & Cabernet Sauvignon
- Martinborough - Chardonnay & Pinot Noir
- Marlborough - Chardonnay
- Canterbury - Pinot Noir
- Central Otago - Pinot Noir
Portugal
- Vintage Port
Spain
- Rioja
- Ribera del Duero
- Priorat
3.3 OTHER SELECTION CRITERIA
Wines may be bought and cellared for particular functions in the future ? for example very expensive wines may be bought and earmarked for President?s Dinners or wines from a none specified area may be purchased for a specific function.
4. MEMBERS ONLY WINES
Wines to be used at functions are to be categorised, by the Cellar Master as ?Members Only Functions? or other.
Wines may move between these categories. For example a cheap wine may improve dramatically and be rare so it should be moved up whereas a wine that has not lived up to its potential should be moved down or sold at auction.
5. QUANTITY OF WINE
The size of most functions dictates the use of three to four bottles. Consequently, dozen lots would show the wine three or four times which would should be more than adequate to cover the best years of its life.
Six bottle lots may be appropriate for more expensive wines for Members Only functions.
6. REVIEW/MAINTENANCE OF CELLAR
The Cellar Master will produce a wish list and disposal list after the stock take for the following 12 months.