While for the most part we’re huge proponents of consuming wine rather than collecting it, since most wine is meant to be drunk within five years of bottling, building a small wine collection can be one of the best ways to learn about wine and observe how it changes as it ages. It also can be a ton of fun, as long as you don’t take it, or yourself, too seriously.

For certain bottles, age truly makes a difference, and collecting a few of those bottles and storing them correctly is the best way for you to economically experience what impact time can have on a bottle of wine.

Our approach to collecting is simple, there’s no need to break the bank, and you should always buy wines you like. If you’re prepared to spend at least around $30 per bottle, you’ll find many bottles that will benefit from a bit of aging and help add to your knowledge and pleasure.

I’ve never been strategic about collecting, instead I’ve allowed my collection to grow organically based on my tastes. There’s no need to head out and fill up your collection all at once, and in fact there’s much joy in simply buying great bottles as you come across them. Some of the bottles I’ve bought while on a vacation, because the wine was not only excellent, but it also had wonderful memories attached to it, which is another benefit of collecting. Other bottles I have purchased on a whim, coming across a great find in a wine shop for a great price; this is where many of the Nebbiolos and Riojas in my collection come from.

As you begin to collect, remember it’s ultimately more fun to drink wine and share it with friends than to stare at it lying on a shelf!

To get you started on your collecting journey, we’ve created a simple infographic to give you an idea of the wines you should be searching for based on your tastes and the money you want to spend. Happy collecting!

Learn About The Wines We Recommend

Wine 101 is our short, plain-English guide to drinking and enjoying wine. If our suggestions have got you curious (and thirsty!), you can learn more about each of the grapes and wines: