The 10-Bottle Wine Collection
Here at I’d Rather Be Meryl, we believe that the average human doesn’t need to collect hundreds of bottles of wine. Most people have no where to put them! And even if you do have extra room, is it temperature controlled? Of course not. Spending tons of cash on wine that won’t be stored properly is a waste of money.
The good news is, you don’t need a lot of wine to have a collection. You just need the right wine—and the right amount. We present to you: the 10-Bottle Wine Collection. Below are 10 bottles that will prepare you for wherever life takes you—from last-minute birthday parties, to friends stopping by unannounced, to a spouse's dumb work event. Yes, you still need to stock up for your big parties, and yes, it’s okay to purchase more, but the beauty of this collection is never regretting this question: do you want to come over tonight?
The 10-Bottle Wine Collection
The collection below is broken down into categories. One quick note, when a wine says “cold,” it means keep that bottle in the fridge at all times!
Sparkling Wine
Life is celebratory—even when it’s shit. Think about your social life the last few weeks: there is always a party, a baby, a promotion, a break up, whatever, that could use sparkling wine. It’s important to be prepared. (Also, sparkling wine is delicious and can be paired with lots of food, so you don’t need to relegate it to the celebration-only category.)
1. Cold bottle of ~$20 sparkling wine. This is something you can bring to a party at a moment’s notice or drink at the end of the night and not totally regret. Just because it’s under $20 doesn’t mean it can’t be good. Look for crémant, which is champenoise-method sparkling from France that isn’t Champagne.
2. Any price-point sparkling wine. We’re going a little pick-you-own-adventure here. This second bottle of sparkling can either be more or less expensive than the first, it’s your choice! Less expensive is perfect to have when you’ve had one bottle of sparkling wine and want a second. More expensive is wonderful for special occasions. The main idea here is that you always have back up.
L: NV Franck Besson Brut Blanc de Noirs Dentelle. This is basically Crémant, except "Crémant de Beaujolais” isn’t a thing.
R: NV Cantina di Carpi e Sorbara Lambrusco. Rosé Lambrusco. 10 bucks. If you picked your own adventure and ended up here, you did good, kid.
White Wine
While we don’t believe in absolutes here at Meryl, some people only drink white wine. In your small-but-mighty collection, it’s important to represent a spectrum of styles for those people—and for food pairing. Just make sure to still buy things that you actually like. If you’d never drink Cali Chard, don’t buy it because your partner’s mom loves it.
L: 2017 Jolivet Attitude Sauvignon Blanc | M: 2017 Fortuity Cellars Chardonnay | R: 2018 Muller? Muller Thurgau
3. Cold bottle of crisp white wine. For aperitifs, sunny days, lazy afternoons, and general merriment. A few options are Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gruner Veltliner, Dry-style Chenin Blanc or Riesling, Aligoté, Albariño, and Picpoul.
4. Heftier style of white wine. Think of something that has a touch of oak or perhaps even some extended skin contact. Look for certain styles of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Sémillon, white Rioja, and Rhone blends.
5. Wild-card bottling. You could easily stock up on a second bottle of anything above, but why not have something cool to impress your geekiest (or snobbiest) friend. Müller-Thurgau from Oregon with extended skin contact? A low alcohol Kabinett Riesling from Germany? A grape you’ve never heard of? This is your chance to be adventurous.
Red Wine
And just as some people only drink white wine, some people only drink red wine! I’m going to waaaaaaaaay over simplify things here, but most dry red wines fit into one of two categories—light, bright, juicy; or big, beefy, heavy. There’s a time and a place for both of these categories.
Lighter style: 2018 Domaine Thillardon Beaujolais Raisin Libre (L) & 2016 Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Meunier (R)
Beefier style: 2010 Gramercy Cellars Syrah (L) & 2012 Ridge Vineyards Jimsomare Vineyard Zinfandel (R)
6 & 7. Lighter-to-medium style reds. These is for your roast chickens, autumnal vegetables, Vietnamese pork noodles, salmon, and much more. Gamay and Pinot Noir fit easily into this category, but so will many bottles of Cab Franc, Grenache, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and plenty more. I love Schiava and Frappato, both Italian varietals that are full of bright red fruit, spice, and tangy acidity.
8 & 9. Beefier style reds. These are for your stews, roasts, steaks, etc. You may never want to drink these without food, but if you love big, robust reds, go for it! Look for Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends, Malbec, Nebbiolo from Barolo or Barbaresco, Rioja, or many versions of Syrah, Mourvedre, or Zinfandel.
And finally, 10. Other.
I was going to make this category dessert wines, but I decided against it. Listen, dessert wines are cool and they know it—but many of your friends have never been able to try them and these sweet babies are conversation starters at any dinner party. Moscato d’Asti, Sauternes, Tokaji, Moelleux Chenin Blanc, Port…the list goes on.
However, not everyone likes dessert wine. Not everyone can get down with the sweet, sticky nectar of the confectionery gods—and I respect that. I am a firm believer in not drinking things you don’t like—so if you’re a whiskey or amaro after-dinner kinda person, don’t fill this last spot with dessert wine. Instead, fill this spot with a wine that you love that doesn’t fit neatly into these categories. Or better yet, expand your horizons. Interested in a grape you’ve never heard of at your local wine shop? Go for it. Want to try more orange wine? Okay! Sherry? Karen Quinn’s on her way over. Rhubarb wine? It’s a thing, I promise, and no, I don’t recommend it. Weird vermouth? It’s your collection, friend. Find your bliss.
Pictured above: 2004 La Chartreuse de Coutet Sauternes.
Um, excuse me?
Can I have a magnum?
Yes, of course! It’s not hyperbole, magnums are the most fun. Plus, if you are having four or more people over, it will be gone in a blink of the eye.
What about rosé?!?
Rosé is wonderful and delicious. Feel free to interchange any of the whites with rosé. Or replace one of those light reds with a beefier rosé like Tavel.
Do you have any specific recommendations?
You betcha! Check out the photos throughout this post—they are all wines we endorse—but keep in mind that not all wines are available everywhere.
Okay, I also want to start my first home bar.
You’ve come to the right place.
