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A COUNTRY HOUSE WINE CELLAR

Country House Wine Cellar by Michael Morgan

I was asked by the owner to review his cellar and its contents as he was finding it increasingly difficult to select a wine that he enjoyed. Was the cellar at the correct ambient temperature? Were the wines past their optimum drinking age? Were the wines stored correctly?

As you can see from the pictures the owner has not held back on the furnishing. Solid wood racking on both sides of the room, a wonderful refectory table with benches ideal for 12 to spend a quiet atmospheric evening, a counter at the end of the room for decanting, wine books and the storing of wine artifax.

Note also the criss cross storage allowing easy access to each wine and also a quick sight of each bin. If you want to use this method a useful tip is to design the quarters to fit either 6 or 12 bottles; if each only hold 10 or 16 there is an overspill.

 

Country House Wine Cellar by Michael Morgan

After a morning cataloguing we discussed the contents. Many of the wines were past their best, the Burgundies were from second or even third tier growers and there was a complete imbalance of quantities – too little of the great wines (the most popular) and too many of the lesser wines (which were just collecting dust). We agreed to clear everything out and start again. I cased everything up, sent the wines to my warehouse and sold them on into the trade. The money from this sale was then re invested as per the owner's wishes.

Country House Wine Cellar by Michael Morgan


Country House Wine Cellar by Michael Morgan

As the owner spends a great deal of his time travelling I had to be careful to spread the investment over 5-7 years. We agreed the overall mix of reds against whites, his preferences (light more elegant styles etc), how many bottles he would need each year (approximately!), and price parameters. He also specifically asked for a good range of MAGNUMS as wine ages best in the magnum size. He now as a wonderful selection of magnums from all over the world.
As reds will mature over a longer period we concentrated on red Bordeaux and Burgundy with a range of the whites that would need ‘topping up' periodically. I will call back to update the contents every 4 months and advise him, (hopefully over a glass!), of the latest vintages, trends etc. I have also asked him to record his preferences and dislikes. If there are any wines not to his liking I will trade them on.

 

It was an enormous pleasure putting the cellar together for him and, now, to hear his enthusiastic comments.