Wine collecting

Here are some tips from veteran wine collector Alan Grundy, managing director of Mediability in Bramhall, on building your own wine collection:

c Make sure your inventory is kept in good order because wine in cellars can deteriorate quite rapidly once it gets too old. You don't want to end up with a cellar full of vinegar.

c Collect wine from the countries and varieties you particularly enjoy and stick with it.

c Pick higher quality producers once you settle on grape varieties.

c Storage location is important. Wine should be kept in a dark room, preferably to the north or east side of the house. Pick a spot with minimum vibration, preferably below ground in a cellar.

c Temperature of the wine should be kept around 50-60 degrees fahrenheit for whites and reds.

c Never keep wine in the kitchen because of the temperature fluctuations.

c Don't keep dry white wine too long. No longer than 10 years for top quality dry white wines.

c Light and fruity wines shouldn't be stored at all.

c Buy from reputable merchants and buy wines that are in their original wooden cases.