I often wonder why the myth persists that wine is uniquely snobby, and it occurrs to me that part of the problem is the c-word. “Cupboard” is fine – democratic, even – but for some reason, “cellar” – which is, after all, merely a storage space for wine – is not.
For the avoidance of doubt, I keep my own wine in a cupboard under the stairs. That’s not by all means perfect for long-term storage, but it’s better than the extremes of temperature you’d get in a garage, for example. And what do I keep in it? A decent supply of wine for everyday drinking, bottles that could benefit from a couple of years’ ageing, occasional wines I bring back from trips that I know aren’t available in the UK, or that are considerably more expensive here, and bottles from winemaker friends.
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