There’s something very special about your personal wine collection. A chance to curate your own selection of delicious flavours and taste experiences to enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

We sat with our co-founder, Daniel Curro, and a glass of his favourite wine, the Cantina Moros, Moros Salice Salentino Riserva DOP to learn more about starting your own collection, specifically for personal enjoyment as opposed to investment.

“When collecting this way, don’t buy wines for show but buy wine that you actually enjoy drinking. Make sure you have wine for different moods, different guests and to complement  different food. Start with trying different wines to understand your taste. You want to have fun with it and try new things. Understanding your palette will really help structure what you want in your collection.

“When it comes to buying, I usually buy more than one bottle of a particular wine, which gives me the opportunity to taste the same vintage over the years. I can see how it evolves, taste the peculiarity of that particular vintage and confront it with different vintages – perhaps in a vertical tasting.”

A vertical tasting is when you sample the same wine, but from different years so you can better appreciate the difference in vintages. This can be fascinating for any wine enthusiast, but also a great way to entertain guests and encourage discussion around the wine.

Aside from the taste, there’s also the beauty of the story behind the wine too, which Daniel sees as just as important. “I always look for the story that the wine wants to tell. Where does it come from? Where were the vines grown? But then there’s the emotive story to consider. The smell, the taste and even the label on your wine can evoke a memory and arouse an emotion. Perhaps you enjoyed a bottle with a loved one, or during a special event that you want to always remember.

“In my collection I have wines divided into three different categories. The first ones are the wines from older vintages. These are fully developed, with a great complexity and can be enjoyed right away without the need to be stored for longer.

“The second category is the wines that would benefit by staying in storage for an extra one to two years. This time allows them to develop more complex aromas.

“And lastly, the new season release, which is a bit more of a treat and a wine to keep for longer. Some of the wines I recently bought in this category were the Brunello di Montalcino 2016. These particular wines will need a few years to express their true potential and, with  longevity, you’ll be able to enjoy them over many years.”

Throughout our discussion, we talked a lot about the concept of keeping and storing wine for a longer length of time. Daniel knew exactly when wine should be enjoyed and opened, and each bottle in his collection was being stored at the perfect temperature to enhance the flavour. In fact, a fluctuation in temperature or continuous exposure to light can permanently damage a wine. The ideal storage would be at around 12 degrees, with ideally 65% humidity and no sunlight. This could be a cool cupboard under the stairs or even in a well-insulated shed.

Or of course, you could consider a professional wine cooler or cellar. Stores like Counter Interiors have incredible solutions for the home that will keep your collection in the perfect condition.

As we finished our glasses and took the time to savour the last taste of cherry jam and the lingering notes of vanilla that Moros delivers, Daniel summarised with, “Ultimately, the whole experience should be enjoyable. If you’re unsure about anything, ask for help. Let an expert tell you how long wine should be stored, the right temperature to serve the wine, and even which wines would give you the biggest impact for your budget. You can then focus your attention on exploring the delicious tastes and fragrances that are available to you.”