Create Your Own Wine Cellar!  Wine is a great thing to have on hand year round.  If you have the time, drive and funds, you can create your own wine cellar that will not only impress guests, but keep you from running to the store every time you run out.  Here are a few tips from Wine Country Gateway to help get you started.  Remember, this is not for everyone, but if you really, really love wine, this will be fun and worth while!

• Find a good storage place in your house. It must meet the requirements for storing and aging wine.

• Stock your wine cellar with an initial investment of at least 24 or more bottles of wine.  Begin with a budget and initially buy the major varietals. For whites: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Gewürztraminer. For reds: Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon. Don’t forget about the dry rosé or some sparkling wine.

• Within that budget, buy wines over a price range that includes everyday wine, weekend wine, special occasion wine, and a great bottle wine for that very special occasion.

• Later, consider a few wines from France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand and lesser-known California varietals.

• If you have a good wine merchant near you, he or she will be very helpful in selecting wines. There are also numerous online wine merchants that offer advice. Check our Wine Related page for some of these merchants.

• Adopt a strategy for replacing and/or expanding your wine collection. Many wine retailers such as K&L Wines offer a variety of wine clubs. If you want to increase the number of bottles, buy an amount each month that exceeds your intake.

And, for something a little extra, here’s a nice way to give your Wine Cellar a personal touch!

Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/wine-collection.html