Chris Reckord — Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. He and his wife Kerri-Anne are part-owners of Jamaica's Wine Bar - Bin26 Wine Bar in Devon House, Kingston. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow us on http://twitter.com/DeVineWines
I had a discussion recently with a visitor to the island who has an impressive collection of wines comprising several thousand bottles. After we discussed some of the styles of wines he collects and he rattled off a list of some of the world's most hard-to-get wines that he had in his possession, the conversation turned to the fact that he adds two to three times more wine to his collection than he consumes; buying 600-700 or so bottles per year while drinking only about 300 bottles per year.
I walked away from the conversation smiling to myself as I compared and contrasted it with another discussion on wine consumption, but this time with a relatively new wine drinker who said that she consumed wine only on very special occasions. The lady thought I was crazy as I mentioned that some of us actually drank a glass or two of wine every day. I went on to explain that winemakers worldwide made wines for all occasions and that the larger wine companies do have different brands at different price points for this exact reason. I gave the example of companies like Robert Mondavi, Gallo, Concho y Toro, Torres and Hardys.
Drinking the Good stuff
That same week I reflected on my own tiny collection and looked at a few of the wine gifts that I have received over the years and the few prized bottles that I had bought, asking myself the question -- When would I, when should I drink these? I reread an article I wrote back in 2008 titled The Pouring Wine, where I commented on the fact that serious wine lovers have an issue around when and with whom they should open their prized wines; should it be with family and their really great lifelong friends, most of whom are not as fond of wine as they are, or do you share these bottles with your 'new' friends' — the other wine geeks that might not have the benefit of a long history with you?
My choice was to do it with family and long-time friends, so my wife and I recently opened some of our best wines as we celebrated life and another great year as man and wife.
Cheers! Go drink some of your best wines now
Chris Reckord — Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. He and his wife Kerri-Anne are part-owners of Jamaica's only Wine Bar - Bin26 Wine Bar in Devon House, Kingston. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow us on http://twitter.com/DeVineWines
I had a discussion recently with a visitor to the island who has an impressive collection of wines comprising several thousand bottles. After we discussed some of the styles of wines he collects and he rattled off a list of some of the world's most hard-to-get wines that he had in his possession, the conversation turned to the fact that he adds two to three times more wine to his collection than he consumes; buying 600-700 or so bottles per year while drinking only about 300 bottles per year.
I walked away from the conversation smiling to myself as I compared and contrasted it with another discussion on wine consumption, but this time with a relatively new wine drinker who said that she consumed wine only on very special occasions. The lady thought I was crazy as I mentioned that some of us actually drank a glass or two of wine every day. I went on to explain that winemakers worldwide made wines for all occasions and that the larger wine companies do have different brands at different price points for this exact reason. I gave the example of companies like Robert Mondavi, Gallo, Concho y Toro, Torres and Hardys.
Drinking the Good stuff
That same week I reflected on my own tiny collection and looked at a few of the wine gifts that I have received over the years and the few prized bottles that I had bought, asking myself the question -- When would I, when should I drink these? I reread an article I wrote back in 2008 titled The Pouring Wine, where I commented on the fact that serious wine lovers have an issue around when and with whom they should open their prized wines; should it be with family and their really great lifelong friends, most of whom are not as fond of wine as they are, or do you share these bottles with your 'new' friends' — the other wine geeks that might not have the benefit of a long history with you?
My choice was to do it with family and long-time friends, so my wife and I recently opened some of our best wines as we celebrated life and another great year as man and wife.
Cheers! Go drink some of your best wines now
Chris Reckord — Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. He and his wife Kerri-Anne are part-owners of Jamaica's only Wine Bar - Bin26 Wine Bar in Devon House, Kingston. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow us on http://twitter.com/DeVineWines