Wine storage pays off.
Some of you have been asking where I have been since my last wine posting. Easy…drinking wine. At several events this past few weeks I have had a chance to taste older wines. Some going back to the 1950’s. Especially interesting was an experience with the exact same wine from two different cellars, the 1986 BV George de la Tour Private Reserve. You may not ever get the chance to try this wine, but I do w
ant you to appreciate how wonderful it is to taste wines that have some age. Obviously these two bottles did not sit around in a closet in South Florida, or heaven forbid, in some rack above a refrigerator! (Please don’t ever do that!)
These were properly stored, albeit in two different homes, and developed at the proper pace. They were delicious. So, with proper storage and plenty of patience you can have some amazing wine experiences. That is the first way that proper wine storage pays off.
But good storage can pay off in even bigger ways: in added value to your home. People today are very wine conscious. Wine has surpassed beer in total sales in America. More and more people are entertaining at home. And more and more wonderful wines are being produced around the world and in all price points. While is is true that 90% or more of all wine purchases are consumed within 36 hours, people are beginning to appreciate mature wine. And they are learning that wines must be purchased when available and aged at home.
So for as little as $300 the addition of a small, 30 to 50 bottle, under-the-counter wine refrigerator from Home Depot or Costco can add appeal to your Brickell Avenue or South Beach condo. (See the one above.)
To make a bigger impression in a bigger setting you can convert or add a closet into a real wine room. There are numerous professionals here in South Florida who can construct the proper insulation and many companies who will be 
able to install the proper cooling and humidity control equipment. These closets can be for display off of your dining room, or for storage in part of your garage. They are perfect in Pinecrest or Palmetto Bay and go great in Gables Estates. They make a wonderful impression on all buyers, whether or not they are currently into wine. A storage unit will set your home apart from the rest and get you a better price or a quicker sale. So for pleasure or value, adding wine storage pays off.
“But”, you ask, “what can I drink tonight?” That is easy. In the white wine department I am continuing to enjoy the Lo Tengo Torrontes from Argentina($7.99 @ Leon’s), the Yalumba Viognier from Australia ($14 @ various merchants), several nice New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs and an interesting blend of Moscatel and Gewurztraminer from Spain called Vina Esmeralda. Satisfying and exciting reds are hitting our market from Chile. The unique grape Carmenere is what makes up Vina Requingua (under $10 bucks!) from the Curica Valley , and a three-grape blend called Veramonte Primus from the Casa Blanca Valley ($13).
If you don’t drink them this weekend that’s OK, just don’t store them over the refrigerator!