Have you ever imagined yourself dusting off wine bottles in your underground vaulted playhouse or entertained the prospect of investing in some potentially promising liquid assets? Berry Bros. & Rudd have been buying, storing and laying down wines for their customers for over 300 years. Laying down wine involves storing young wines until they are at a point where the optimum drinking pleasure can be achieved. Some wines not only become more interesting with age but can actually require ageing to make them a pleasant drinking experience! The other reason to store young wines yourself for drinking at a later date, is the scarcity of mature wines to be had at a price you'd want to pay. Buy them when they are young at a cheaper price and you just have to wait for the wines to mature. 

Berry Bros. & Rudd's Cellar Advice Team is able to advise on which wines to choose for long term cellaring. Medium to high quality wines can benefit from ageing but cheap wines will simply deteriorate. The choice of wine therefore is vital. Also pick wine styles you like! No good having mature wine you don't want to drink. The grape varieties that can age best are (reds) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot (and a blend of these two), Pinot Noir, Syrah and (whites) Chardonnay, Riesling and Sémillon. For regions, it is safest to stick to Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhône, Chablis, Sauternes and the top Italian, German, Californian and Australian wines.
 

The Berry Bros. & Rudd 'Tailor Made Cellar Plan' is an ideal place to start with wine cellaring. You can also try buying wines at auction, from the producer or a merchant. Buying wines 'En Primeur' enables you to secure wines at a reduced price prior to bottling. Berry Bros. & Rudd can provide storage in their temperature controlled bonded warehouse for a modest annual fee. Really there are only two places to store your wine; either in a wine warehouse (either with the merchant from whom you bought it or another warehouse) or at home. Wherever the wine is stored, it should be: 
 - on its side, lying down ,  - at a steady temperature between 8 - 13° Centigrade, - in the dark, - away from vibrations 

The only real way to tell if a wine is ready to dring is by trial and error because different people like wine at different stages of maturity. If you want some guidance though, your local wine merchant should be able to assist you. The Berry Bros. & Rudd Cellar Advice Department would be happy to advise you.

Now the last question remains - how do I sell my wine? The Berry Bros. & Rudd Fine Wine Department would be happy to make you an offer. Again, you can sell your wine at auction or even back to a merchant or broker. However, this only applies if you have not made the decision of drinking the wine yourself.
 

Cellar plan holders are regularly invited to tastings and dinners held in Berry Bros. & Rudd’s vaulted cellars at 3, St. James’s Street, London SW1. These events give members the opportunity to learn more about wine in a relaxed and friendly setting. 

For more information, please mention Elegant-Lifestyle and contact Alex Murray, Cellar Advice Team, Berry Bros. & Rudd Ltd.
3, St. James's Street
London SW1A 1EG, England
Tel.: +44-870 900 4300, Fax: +44-870 900 4301
e-mail: Alex.M@bbr.com, website: www.bbr.com