Peter Andrade sent the following email this morning and I enjoyed reading it. I try to be very disciplined with my inventory, between CellarTracker and barcodes, but still occasionally forget that the process requires my continued intervention or else it falls apart. I can’t remember the specific wines I last lost or found, but I know I’ve had similar experiences (although I don’t remember finding quite the quality of wines Peter did!).
Happy New Year’s to you all. I hope you all had a chance to drink some good stuff on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. I would love to know what everyone did. Mary and I, as is our custom, made a fabulous dinner and drank a 2001 Insignia.
Over the last two days, I have spent nearly 5 hours restacking and cataloguing my entire wine collection. Though I certainly do not have the biggest or best collection, nor the best tracking system, I thought I might share with you some interesting findings. I am not sure how often the rest of you inventory your entire collection. I do it every time I move or about once every five years. The last full inventory was six years ago. It is always a revelation and this time was no different.
Lost Wine
About a case – I thought I had them and knew where or I thought I had them and just could not place them, but alas, they are gone. One that hurt – a 1985 Graham’s Port. I must have drunk it with Walter.
Wine I knew I had, but had misplaced
About a case – I thought I had them, but did not know where, AND – I found them. Much happiness.
Found Wine
No idea I had them, but am really excited. It is almost inexplicable that I did not know I had the following bottles and “found them” in my cellar:
1993 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet – I drank it tonight. It was awesome. Steve, aging the CA Cabernets, I believe, will pay off;
1997 Arrowood Cabernet Reserve Speciale – bought from Steve about 8 years ago. I can’t believe I have one left;
1997 Insignia – no idea I had one left;
1998 Tenuta dell Ornellaia Bologheri – 2001 Wine Spectator Wine of the Year – got to be kidding. I can’t believe I lost this one;
1999 Opus One;
1999 Araujo Cabernet Eisele Vineyard;
1999 Whitehall Lane Reserve Cabernet;
2003 Mondavi Reserve Cabernet;
2004 Conn Valley Right Bank;
and six other Shiraz’s, Pinots, and Zins – all grateful finds.
I share this with all of you, believing, in some sense, that we all must have some “lost and hidden” gems. If we would only look harder, or take a disciplined inventory, we would find them.
I hope my little note encourages all of you to do a little searching and maybe you will find some things you think you might have lost forever, but are just out of sight.
Happy New Year and a votre sante.