If we choose good tipples, according to statistics we prefer red wines. In fact, there is one saying worth remembering: almost all great wines are red, almost all great white wines are sweet. Thus, in our small cellar should be four or six red wines from Piedmont (above all Barolo or Barbaresco), some Tuscan reds (Chianti Classico Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and also Tuscan IGTs – Supertuscans based on Sangiovese, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon), plus some Amarone della Valpolicella (bottles from various vintages).
There should also be two or four bottles of Cabernet and Merlot from Veneto or Lombardy and two of Pinot Nero from Trentino or Alto Adige. At least eight or ten bottles of red wines from Central and South Italy: Montefalco Sagrantino, Rosso Conero, Taurasi, Aglianico, Primitivo, Negroamaro, great Sicilian wine like Cerasuolo di Vittoria or Etna, IGTs based on Nero d’Avola and some Carignano del Sulcis. Finally six bottles of great foreign wines. Thirty five bottles of great red wines in total. The vintages to choose: 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2007 for all wines, 1989 only for Piedmontese and French.
White wines to look for are above all aromatic ones served as an aperitif: Gewürztraminer and Müller Thurgau from Alto Adige, two bottles of each variety. Plus fourteen bottles of dry white wine to be paired with fish from among Gavi, Roero Arneis, Tocai Friuliano, Sauvignon dei Colli Orientali del Friuli, Soave Classico, Bianco di Custoza, Lugana, Trentino Superiore Pinot Grigio or Alto Adige Pinot Bianco, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi lub di Matelica, Greco di Tufo, Fiano, Falanghina, Vermentino. Five or six bottles of Italian Metodo Classico spumante (the must Franciacorta from Lombardy and also Trento DOC from Trentino), six Proseccos di Conegliano Valdobbiadene, two wines like Cartizze extra dry or Asti Spumante. In sum another forty bottles, seventy five in total. It means that in the beginning the investment comes to a total of 1200-1500 Euro, but at the same time it translates to having superb wine cellar, richer over time.
If you want to organize a small wine cellar with 20 bottles, you should choose five white wines: Alto Adige Gewurztraminer, Soave Classico, Tocai Friuliano, Greco, Flanghina and five red like Barbera d'Asti, Dolcetto d'Alba, Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Morellino di Scansano and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo; five strong red such as Barolo, Amarone della Valpolicella, Brunello di Montalcino, Aglianico; two pink - Bardolino Chiaretto and Salento Rosato; two spumantes; one Metodo Classico wine like Franciacorta and one Charmat like Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobiadene. Passito or liqueur wine should also be represented: Passito di Moscato or Marsala.
