I wanted to hear some thoughts on wedding and birth year wines. Did you purchase a bit more from your wedding year in hopes of drinking those wines down the road with your spouse? Maybe some large formats for anniversary parties at some point in time?
For birth year wines, did you sock away a few cases of wines for when your children might be interested in wine? Birth year wines need to be long lived as its something that needs to last at least 15 years, ideally 20-30yr wines.
We got married in 2010. Great year for wine… BDX, Rhone, burg, Cali cab & Pinot. Wines that I purchase every year, 6-12 bottles, I’ve also been adding a mag or two. I will probably add a handful of 3L bottles as well, one from each region of our favorite wines. I have no clue how 2010 was for champagne ot port, hoping its a vintage year when it is eventually released. We got engaged at Ch Montelena and I plan on buying a bunch of the napa & estate cab. No kids yet but I’m sure I will do the same when the time comes.
Was wed in 1998 and have a few wines to celebrate future anniversaries including - 98 Lafite, Grange and a variety of OR Pinot.
As for children, kids born in 01, 04 and 07. The kid born in 01 I hope likes Sauternes including Yquem. Also have a variety of Napa Cabs like Caymus SS and Dunn, including large format. For 04, have Dunn and some others including large format and some Sauternes. For the boy born in 07, Port! Debating on getting him some large formats of Noval and Fladgate.
We were married in 2000 (easy to remember how many years we’ve been married that way!). I have a solid stash of wines from that vintage specifically for drinking at anniversary meals, but no large formats for some reason. There’s still time to buy some, of course…!
I bought a bit more 2004 because we have twins, so it gave me an excuse to double down on purchasing…
Now if I could just find a drinkable wine from MY birthyear or something even remotely affordable from my wife’s, I’d be all set!!
The wedding year wines make a lot more sense than the birth year ones. What are the odds that your children are going to appreciate wines, particularly of that age, when they turn 21?
Having said that, I have a handful of birth year wines for the kids. I have some d’Yquem from my son’s birth year – that’s a much safer bet both to age and to be liked by a 21 year old than some claret or Burg of that age.
I have to start by prefacing that I’ve only recently begun to “get into” wine. Really over the last 2 years.
Born in 1970, so I’m doubtful that I’ll get my hands on a wine from my birth year. I’ve read it was a decent vintage for Bordeaux and vintage Port but with my limited budget I doubt they would be accessible to me.
Married in 2001, as I’ve just started collecting I haven’t researched thie vintage but could probably find a few bottles here and there. I wish I had had the wine bug then as it would be nice to have tucked away a few bottles to enjoy on our anniversary. We did spend our 11th anniversary (last August) in Sonoma County (RRV & DCV) and had a great day tasting on our anniversary.
Daughter born in 2009. That’s an easy one. I’ve picked up a few nice bottles here and there, but I need to commit myself to some larger purchases (both in bottle number and format) and some really long term wines. However, as mentioned above, I’m working with a limited wine budget so I need to make some wise choices.
Got married 2/04 with a honeymoon baby in 11/04. Got mags of Latour, Margaux, Montrose, Pavie, Giacosa, Flaccianello, & Vigna del Sorbo, plus some 750 Yquem, for our son. Hopefully he will have some rockin’ good dinner parties, or otherwise use them to make his life better long, long after I’m gone. And just maybe his children too.
You are certainly barking up the right tree with the Yquem, ports, and Dunn.
Married in 2009 and kids in 2010 and 2012. I ended up buying a lot more 2010 (Bdx, CdP mostly) than 2009. That doesn’t mean I’m necessarily buying them for the kids, but rather for me & my wife in the same way I bought wedding year wines - it’ll be a great wine to drink on their birthdays, etc. even when the kids are too young. Some will make it to when they are old enough to share, but who knows if they will like wine at that point, but that doesn’t really matter to me. So, I’m basically doing it for me…just an excuse to buy more wine than usual. I’ve bought some mags, and had thoughts of picking up a double mag, but haven’t been able to talk myself into that (yet).
I am a big fan of both. 1964 for my birth year, so lots of very good choices. 2002 for my wedding, so lots of Burgundy and Champagne plus first growth BDX since Parker didn’t review it and opening prices were silly (including Latour en magnum).
We had the good sense to get married in 1990, and I bought a little more and a little more upscale, including a few bottles of wines I had not bought before, like Dom, Cheval Blanc, and Ch. Margaux.
My kids were born in 1992 and 1999. I bought a mixed case of wines for each one, and as the older one is approaching her 21st, she is indeed showing some appreciation for wine. It would be better to have Champagne, but she will happily drink a glass of red wine.
Younger one has no interest yet, but she’s 13. If it stays that way, more 1999 Haut Brion for me!
I haven’t stocked our own birth years (62 and 64) but we have drunk a few over the years.
Wedding year was 2003, don’t have any bottles, been looking though as 10yr is coming up next month. I’ve consistently been reminded it was not a good vintage worldwide.
Kids are 2006 and 2012 birth years. I’ve put away a few mags of 06 Bien Nacido Syrah, which should hold up awhile. I’d like to add to the 06’s and begin on the 12’s.
I strongly recommend buying as much wine as you can afford from 2010 and, eventually, birth years of your children. I was married in 1989 and bought tons of great wine from that vintage (when they were affordable). We had anniversary dinners for two dozen friends with wines from 1989 to celebrate our 10th, 15th, and 20th anniversaries, truly memorable celebrations. I’ll do the same for our 25th, although I didn’t plan far enough ahead and ran out of white wine (still have Champagne, Rhones, and Sauternes). While I did get some magnums, I wish I had bought more, given the size of the groups at these dinners. We actually had double magnums of two of the wines (Veuve Clicquot Grand Dame and Pichon Lalande) at our 10th.
No children but I do have nephews born in 1977 and 1981. We were drinking a bottle of port every year to celebrate the elder nephew’s birthday until a few years ago when he admitted he wasn’t really a fan of port (or most other wine), but preferred Rieslings. So I’m stuck with a bunch of 1977 port (including a couple of magnums), but that’s not exactly a bad thing. The younger nephew loves wine, and we drank lots of wines from his birth year which made all his birthdays even more special. We drank the last bottle (81 Margaux) a year or two ago, and I still find myself thinking about buying more wines from that vintage.
The only negative for me was that I was so focused on 1989 that I bought virtually no wine from 1990 or 1991, but I think that is more than offset by the pleasure I’ve had from the 1989’s.
My birth year was 1959, which was, by all accounts, a spectacular year for Bordeaux. I’ll have to win the lottery to purchase the 1959 Bordeaux I’d love to have…
Only if they’re great years.Otherwise I default to conception or engagement and if that fails ,( to yield a good to great yr) I pass on the buying and just figure we’ll drink whatever is drinking great for the specific celebrations.Love the idea though.
This thread has inspired me to buy a few magnums from 2010 for future anniversary parties. Seems like a no brainer but hadn’t thought of it.
We got married at Trentadue Winery in Geyserville in Aug 2010. No kids yet but I love the concept.
