Making your first foray into the world of wine can feel incredibly intimidating. With the sheer number of wine snobs and complex words like tannins, mouth-feel and the like, for newbies to the wine scene, it can feel overwhelming and you’ll find yourself thinking nostalgically back to a time when your wine knowledge was limited to ‘red or white’. 

That being said, starting a wine collection and educating yourself about wines can be incredibly rewarding. Keep reading for an absolute beginner’s guide to collecting wine. 

Start With The Staples

First things first, start with the staples – some solid reds and whites that will provide the foundation to your collection. It’s important to remember that everyone’s tastes are different so you should tailor this to your tastes. If you ask us, you should start with chardonnay, a buttery white wine which also featured in pop songs as of late with Lizzo crooning, ‘I’m like chardonnay, get better over time.’ An utterly drinkable crowd pleaser, a good chardonnay will be a hit at any dinner party but is also light enough for day drinking. A bonus, Australian chardonnay is world famous so you can buy local and support vineyards close to home.  When it comes to the reds, think smooth blends as well as shiraz, syrah and cabernet varietals. When stored correctly, reds tend to age beautifully and will increase in value over time.  

Now you know what sort of wines to purchase to build your collection, you should head to Grays Wine to pick up premium bottles at the best prices. By buying by the case you’ll be able to pick up some award-winning drops at very reasonable prices, online auction houses are perfect for first time collectors.

Know What You Like

There’s no point in having a big collection of wines if you don’t like any of them. It’s important to know which sorts of wines you like and which flavours don’t agree with you. One way to find out which wines you like is to taste them all one by one but this can be expensive and, let’s be honest, after tasting a dozen or so varieties you tend to get sick. You can also do an online quiz to learn more about your palate which is definitely a safer more affordable option.

Know When To Let Go

Now that you’ve got all this wine you have to know the best time to drink it. Some wine improves with age and others are ready to drink straight away. The important things to consider when asking how long you should be keeping you wine before you drink it is the quality of the wine and the type of grape. For more information, check out this guide for how long to cellar your wine before you drink it.  

Start collecting today and you can start drinking tomorrow!