I tend to drink a lot of daily drinkers from Cali, Italy, Aussie, Rhone and other French appellations (except bordeaux), but my cellar is probably 50% bordeaux, and growing as a %. The problem is that many of these are not meant to be drunk young, and I haven't gotten to the point where I have 5 bottles a week of mature wine ready to go in my cellar. It's kind of my dream (in wine) to be in a state of equilibrium where I put in young wines and take out old wines in equal proportions. I've only been collecting for about 4 years or so (and at an accelerating pace). It'll take another decade or so for me to attain my equilibrium.

Slow and steady.

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Yes, but I came here for an argument.

Oh! Oh! I'm sorry, this is abuse.

I probably drink 30% Australian, 30% French, 5-10% Calif and the remaining 25-30% would consist of Spain, Germany and the rest.

"Village Idiot"...lol, I hope not.

I agree with the whole Bordeaux thing. I've purchased some lovely 2000 Bordeaux's, but I don't think I'll be enjoying them for quite sometime. I'm enjoying a C. Palmer, Alter Ego, 2000 Margaux right now. WS's rating of 92 is right on, and it will only get better with age, but I don't want to have to wait 4 to 10 years to enjoy every wine I buy. Therefore, I can completely concur with the CA leanings, if for nothing else "immediate satisfaction"...lol.

I thinb breaking the forum up by country/region would be a great idea and really start some more in depth discussion of the world's wines by those most passionate about them.

My breakdown now:

60% Italian
10% French
5% Aussie
5% New Zealand
20% California

I like to think I am pretty even handed, there is just too much good wine.

Right now, I seem to emphasize,
France,
California,
Germany,
Italy,

And a few Aussies.

Oh yeah, can't forgot Port

After California, the bulk of my cellar is French, Rhones from North and South. Not as many Bordeaux's as it should have though.

Exactly two bottles of OZ and a few spanish, a few italians, and german sweeties.

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"One may dislike carrots, spinach, beetroot, or the skin on hot milk. But not wine. It is like hating the air that one breathes, since each is equally indispensable."

Marcel Ayme`

I have a ton of Bordeaux. However, most of it is gently sleeping. Come back in 10 years and start counting again at that time.

Joe

I think you will find more CA and Oz reviews and discussions because these wines are so much more approachable young. Sure I bought 2000 Bordeaux, but I've 10 years before I'll drink the mid-range and 25 years before I'll touch the really good stuff. Kind of tough to spend too much time talking about wines I'm not tasting.

I hear you loud and clear, but instead of buying CA wines, I'm just going to start buying 10 to 20 year old Bordeaux's.

And then I woke up...lol.

Good topic.

Over the years this evolves and also there are always short bursts of "love"!

40% Cal
30% French (Bordeaux/Rhone/Vin du Pays)
20% Italian
10% variable

100% not enough!!!

Regards,

DBW

This board seems more Calif (or at least New World) focused than others. I would hate to see it broken down by having separate forums for different regions. Having a mix in one forum is better.

Being I live in the Calif wine country--and get dicounts--so there isn't much incentive to drink anything else. I get to try before I buy. There is plenty of variety locally.

I've taken a few classes at the local community college on wines from other parts of the world. In fact, my wife and I are taking one now. 1-1/2 units of college credit! Already for homework we've been to Ch Montelena, Opus One, and spent an afternoon in Dry Creek. My kind of homework.

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It's not over-supply. It's under-consumption. Do your part!

My guess is my breakdown is:

65% French
15% Aussie
10% Cal.
5% Italian
5% other (Other US, Chile, Argentina)

Mine might be somewhat more heavily weighted to France because we drink a fair amount of Champagne.

Irwin

"Outside of a dog, a book is probably man's best friend; inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
-Groucho Marx

Just my observations but I agree with the comment made on accessibility being a significant force in what you consume. In my trips east and west I find more California and NW wines in the West fewer French and European wines. As I go east I find the mix changes and when you get to the coast it seems the European wines may match or surpass the domestic's for shelf space(I'm not counting the jug wines). Wine stores in the sophisticated wine mecca of Kansas are California dominated and the Aussies have significantly more space than the French in both the everyday and premium areas.(even before the war). You actually have to work pretty hard here to fine and buy French wine outside of the more generic french wines. Maybe you all on the coasts are grabbing it up before it gets here!

An ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure.

My favorite wines are Burgundy, Bordeaux and Piedmont. I wish there were more red and white Burgundy TN's on this board.

grossie, 5 wines a week. they have a word for people like you, "Alcoholic".

j/k - my goal is to pull out 2 mature wines a week. So my turnover on ageable wine will probably max at 100-150.

I have a good bit of CA & Aussie wines. I am digging in to Italians, some French and Spain, too. I have a smattering from elsewhere (NZ, Hungary, etc), too...

www.vinocellar.com -- Mm-Mm-good

I'm trying to be more international as well, but due to availability, have many many more California, Washington and Australian wines in my colleciton. When I find an Italian or Spanish wine that I like, I try to grab up as many as I can because there won't be many. French wines are still very difficult for me to negotiate and I am reluctant to spend a lot of money experimenting.

por vino