Mixed emotions

[jefmcg]

A lot of lovely wine which is mine (and my brothers'). A beautiful cellar that is mine (and my brothers') at least for another month.

But all the pleasure my dad planned for but never got to enjoy ...

(chair and laptop for to record wine on a spreadsheet for valuation .... so I may not get to enjoy the wine myself if it is worth anything)

 

[gavroche]

A lot of lovely wine which is mine (and my brothers'). A beautiful cellar that is mine (and my brothers') at least for another month.

But all the pleasure my dad planned for but never got to enjoy ...


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(chair and laptop for to record wine on a spreadsheet for valuation .... so I may not get to enjoy the wine myself if it is worth anything)

I see it is all red wine so what temperature do you keep it at?

 

[jefmcg]

I see it is all red wine so what temperature do you keep it at?

It's not all red wine - there are sadly some whites from the 1980s that have probably passed through vinegar to acetate**.

Cellar is pretty cool, but many of the wines had a previous life under the bed, so experienced temperatures will in excess of 30 several times a year. Not telling the wine auction house about that

**not sure what happens to wine when it is several decades past it drinkable life, but I have tasted some pretty gnarly whites that weren't drinkable and weren't anything as simple as vinegar

 

[Brandane]

But all the pleasure my dad planned for but never got to enjoy ...

Sorry to hear about your loss @jefmcg , but think of all the pleasure he would have had from the stuff that's no longer in the cellar .

 

[Andrew_P]

Sorry about your loss, pity your Dad didn't enjoy some of the collection along the way.

 

[Mrs M]

Aw, sorry to hear that.
x

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Aw shucks. You and your brother should just enjoy. Forget the auction house.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

How sad it must be for you to sit there @jefmcg!
I'm sure your Dad would have wanted you and your brother to enjoy what he left behind: hope you like wine!

 

[srw]

It's not all red wine - there are sadly some whites from the 1980s that have probably passed through vinegar to acetate**.

That depends what kind of white. Sweet and sweetish styles have a surprisingly long shelf-life, and even a decent chardonnay will keep on improving. Some of my favourite purchases have been 15-year-old German Rieslings from Majestic. Favourite because there's a great complexity in a decent wine that old, because they're pretty low alcohol by modern standards (11% at most) and because they're cheap.

Since your father had a decently sized collection I'd wager he knew what he was doing in keeping those old bottles, and unless they're purely of sentimental value ("I bought this on the way home from my daughter's graduation/school-leaving/first day at school/birth") I'd open one or two and toast his memory.

Best wishes to both you and your brother - losing a parent is tough, but the best thing to do is to remember the happy times and enjoy what he's left you.

 

[Katherine]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[raleighnut]

Sorry to hear about your Dad.

I'm with the 'enjoy the cellar' crowd unless you find some of the bottles are worth 'silly money'.

 

[jefmcg]

I'm with the 'enjoy the cellar' crowd

I live 16,000km from this cellar - so better for me to cash out and spend it at Oddbins.

 

[marknotgeorge]

Sorry for your loss.

My dad collected miniatures when he was on the coaches. It's been agreed amongst me and my siblings that when he passes, we're drinking the lot at his wake. Possibly even the ones that supposedly contain cold tea after a pair of small boys allegedly went a-sampling...

 

[jefmcg]

Valuations in. Total is something between £10-15,000 (focused mostly in a few dozen bottles out of 400+) Sadly, beautiful bottle like these, that are redolent with the atmosphere at rural wineries in the 70s, are worth very little. On the upside, I can taste them without worrying about pouring money down the drain.

 

[Tin Pot]

Valuations in. Total is something between £10-15,000 (focused mostly in a few dozen bottles out of 400+) Sadly, beautiful bottle like these, that a redolent with the atmosphere at rural wineries in the 70s, are worth very little. On the upside, I can taste them without worrying about pouring money down the drain.

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Turn the wine cellar into a bike cellar?