The Oldies but Goodies – Wine Of Course

“My husband and I have been mem­bers of WOMC for 3 years or so and are always delighted with your shipments. Now I need some special help from you. Our three older chil­dren would like to each have a bottle of wine put aside for them from their birth year to drink on their 21st birthdays. They were born in 1973, 1976, and 1978. I think we’ve got the 1978 covered as 1 found a 1978 Ster­ling Cabernet in the garage. What I need to know is :

• Will the Sterling last until 1999? What would be the best way to keep it? We have a refrigerator in the ga­rage I could put it in.
• What would you suggest for the other two?

P.S. We also have a baby born in 1986 – but we will not worry about that now.”

– S.L.; Mission Viejo

Thank you for your continued membership and interest!

I can order for you a classical 1976 wine – Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sau­vignon Marthas Vineyard, 1976 @ $55 ea./750m1. This is a rerelease by the winery. For the 1973, I can order for you 4 different wines: All are Cabernet Sauvignon: Spring Moun­tain, magnum size (double bottle=1500 ml) @$95 each; Cha­teau Montelena @ $50 ea./750m1.; Clos du Val @ $48 ea./750m1.; Burgess @ $45 ea./750m1. All these have been stored at cellar tempera­ture since their release and should be in good shape for 21 years from vintage date.

It is best to keep the wines at cellar stable higher temperature, with min­imal variation. Not a refrigerator. That is too cold. See my reprint arti­cle enclosed.

For the 1986 vintage – consider keeping a Cabernet or Pinot Noir, when they are released. Look for them in 1988, 1989, or 1990.

To your health!

– P.E.

P.S. TO READERS,

If you have a similar need, or wish a copy of the reprint of the article, please drop me a line.

MESSAGE FROM MONICA (our office manager) On your reorders, the more in­formation you omit on the order form, the more chance of delay of your order. *It is very hard to send a reorder to the right party, if all they have done is sign the order form! We have a hard time deciphering some of the signatures, and if the envelope does not have a return address, we give up! A couple of orders had to wait till other clues surfaced! If your reorder is to be sent to the usual address, and charged the same way as your monthly selections, then… please sign and print your name also. *If you are enclosing a check, do write your name on the order form too! They have mysteriously become separated a couple of times! *If your credit card number is a new one and you wish for us to use it for reg­ular monthly selections also, please indicate so on the order form. Thanks, Monica