Wine cellars the place to enjoy fine vintages

Phil Pringle had been in the wine business for almost 30 years when he finally got his dream: a wine cellar of his own.

Pringle, owner of Pringle’s Fine Wine and Spirits in Fort Collins, and his brother-in-law built the cellar in 2003. They constructed it by building two walls onto existing concrete walls in Pringle’s basement, used the thickest insulation they could find and installed a heavy metal door as the entrance.

The 300-square-foot space has track lighting, redwood wine racks and enough space to hold 6,000 bottles of wine. Pringle has about 600 bottles.

For Pringle, who started working in the wine business in California in the mid 1970s, the cellar allows him to age his favorite wines.

“Boy, do the wines ever change when you age them for 10 years,” he said. “The flavors open up like a peacock expanding its feathers.”

Pringle’s wine cellar is part of a trend among wine connoisseurs in the United States. According to wine industry trade groups, Americans are drinking more wine. U.S. consumption still falls far behind Europe, which produces and consumes the majority of the world’s wine.

The average American adult drinks about 16 bottles of wine per year, according to Adams Beverage Group, a commercial wine-industry trade group. By contrast, the average French or Italian adult opens up about 80 bottles of wine a year.

With increased consumption comes a growing interest in wine. Most people interested in wine have small collections, Pringle said. But some build their own cellars.

Storage and entertainment

Some cellars are elaborate and have enough room for tables and chairs for a dinner party. Others are small rooms tucked in the corners of basements.

“You either use a wine cellar to drink and entertain, or you use it as a trophy,” Pringle said. “Some people will build elaborate cellars, show the wine off to guests and then go make themselves a scotch and soda.”

About three years ago, Jim Franzen and his wife converted a corner in their basement into a wine cellar. The Franzens have lived in older homes in downtown Fort Collins, so they had used former coal cellars as makeshift wine cellars. But three years ago was the first time they built walls for an official wine cellar.

The 10-by-6-foot room contains their favorite wines. Their collection isn’t focused on any particular region, but they like wines from Australia and South America the most.

“I don’t consider myself that serious of a wine guy,” Franzen said. “There are people who are way more into it than we are. What I’ve found out about wines is that there are so many wines from so many different places. It’s too much data for us.”

The Franzens keep their cellar at 62 degrees. The recommended temperature for wine cellars ranges from 55-65 degrees. With colder temperatures, the wine’s aging process slows.

Pringle became interested in wine when he was in high school. Wine was permitted at the dinner table, and Pringle said he had a knack for differentiating wines.

“I inherited my mother’s nose,” he said. “She was a good cook, and she could tell the differences between the tastes of things.”

Pringle collects format bottles, which are 1.5 liters or larger. He keeps his cellar at 54 degrees and at 70-76 percent humidity by adding a simple pan of water. He said he keeps his cellar colder to slow the aging process on his favorite wines, German wines from the 1970s.

Both Pringle and Franzen use their cellars for entertainment. Franzen and his wife like to collect vintage Port wines, rich, sweet fortified wines originally produced in Portugal, to give away as graduation or wedding gifts.

Tasting parties popular

The Franzens also hold wine-tasting parties with friends.

“We put brown paper bags around the bottles so people don’t know what they’re drinking,” he said. “It’s interesting when a cheaper wine ends up being the favorite. We consider it a fun way to spend an evening with friends without spending a lot of money.”

Pringle attends wine-tasting lunches with a group of Fort Collins restaurant and business owners. They meet four to six times a year and taste wines from their own cellars.

He also uses his cellar to entertain guests. “I ask them what they want to drink,” he said. “If they know wine, they get to pick from the cellar. We go down there, say, ‘Wow, this is cool.’ Then the 54 degrees gets cold and we go back upstairs.”

Franzen adds to his collection through a wine-of-the-month club and through recommendations from wine merchants, including Pringle.

Pringle adds to his collection based on what he can afford. His most costly bottle of wine was $10,000. But providing for his family, including an 11-year-old and 13-year-old, takes priority over buying expensive wine.

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