Like collecting books, art, or any objects that stir the senses with thoughts both soulful and cerebral, collecting wine and curating a wine cellar is a personal journey driven by passion and filled with exciting discoveries. Just like a fingerprint, every palate is unique, and a great wine collection reflects the personality and preferences of the collector. Even so, building a wine collection from scratch can feel daunting. With this in mind, we’re here to offer some helpful wine cellar tips on how to start a wine collection and how to age wine, with some recommendations on the most highly collectible MacRostie wines for aging.

Storing and Aging Wine

There are few things that can compare to the elegance of a well-aged wine. Opening a prized bottle on a special occasion is one of life’s sublime pleasures. Wine is alive. As a living organism, wine’s natural habitat is in a cool, dark and calm place, with temperature being key to guaranteeing longevity. Temperature sets the pace at which wine ages. Too cool, and the process will slow to a crawl. Too hot, and you risk cooking a wine. A temperature near 55º F ensures slow and steady aging, giving complex wines time to integrate and evolve. Lighting is also important. Sunlight and fluorescents can react with wine in unpleasant ways, so a lightless place is ideal for storage. In terms of humidity, while too much is preferable to too little, the ideal is approximately 65 to 70%.

Tip: While wine is generally capable of shrugging off minor fluctuations in temperature, or even gradual seasonal changes of up to 10 degrees, rapid heat spikes of more than five to 10 degrees should be avoided.

Collect What You Love

Whether it’s the lush, alluring beauty of a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir or the dazzling energy and elegance of a cool-climate Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, the secret to a great wine cellar is to collect what you love. While your collection may grow in size and scope over time, its foundation should be the kind of age-worthy wines you dream of sharing with family and friends during life’s great moments. With this in mind, it’s important to consider which wines have what it takes to age.

In terms of aging potential, all wines are not created equal. Nor is wine ageability an exact science. However, most experts agree that there are three factors that tend to result in more age-worthy wines: acidity, tannin and alcohol level. Because wines lose acid as they age, wines with higher acid tend to have a longer lifespan. For red wines, beginning with higher tannins (both from the grapes and oak barrels) is important because tannins act as antioxidants and help preserve freshness, and like acidity, soften and smooth out over time. Finally, while there are certainly exceptions, because of the relationship between tannin, acid and alcohol, generally speaking the lower the alcohol level in a still wine the longer it will last.

Tip: For wines under cork, lay them on their sides so that the wine inside keep the corks moist. For wines under screwcap, like ours, stand the bottles up so that the wine does not touch the bottom of the cap.

What Makes Aged Wines Special?

Like interesting people, great wines evolve over time. Think of yourself at 15, 35 and 55 as you went from the exuberance of youth to the confidence of adulthood to having the character and experience of a well-lived life. Wine can follow a similar trajectory, including having some awkward (called “dumb” in wine speak) phases along the way. In general, when a high-quality Chardonnay ages, it transforms. As the freshness and fruit-forward character recede, the color of the wine can change to a deeper, more golden hue, with richer, mellower tones emerging, as well as more aromas and flavors of honey, caramel and even sherry.

For age-worthy Pinot Noirs, primary red and blue fruit flavors can change to denser plum and earth characteristics. A well-cellared Pinot will often develop more overall concentration and richness, as well as secondary notes of spice and toast from barrel aging. While too much oak can be overwhelming in a young wine, in older wines it can meld seamlessly, adding weight and gravitas.

MacRostie Cellar Essentials

The finest single-vineyard wines are fascinating studies in time and place and are perfect for collecting. Finding a vineyard whose wines you love is a treat and it can be exciting to watch as these sites evolve in their expression of place over time. Having quickly emerged as one of the most acclaimed young vineyards in California, our Nightwing Estate in the Petaluma Gap AVA is already yielding thrilling wines with the promise of even greater things ahead. To showcase the character of Nightwing and its various blocks and clones, we produced two single-clone wines in 2022, the Nightwing Vineyard Swan Clone Pinot Noir and the Nightwing Calera Clone Pinot Noir. We also crafted multi-block and multi-clone expressions of the vineyard with our Nightwing Vineyard Chardonnay and Nightwing Pinot Noir.

While single-vineyard wines are like great musical soloists, a masterful blend is a like choir. Made with thoughtful artistry and an eye to long-term aging, our coveted The Loch Pinot Noir and The Key Chardonnay are our most collectible wines. Crafted from the best blocks and barrels of wine from the vineyards that excelled the most in the growing season, they are wines that will reward years of cellaring, which begs the question…

When to Open Your Wines?

When cellaring one of our single-vineyard Chardonnays, Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen recommends opening a bottle within the first 5 years to gauge its evolution, with an overall drinking window of 8 to 10 years. Our vineyard-designate Pinot Noirs generally follow a similar timeline, with most having the potential to age 10 to 12+ years. For the truly patient, because they are often higher in acid and somewhat lower in alcohol, The Loch and The Key have the potential to reward cellaring for up to 15 years, with richness as well as complex floral and earth notes emerging over time.

A Final Tip: Too often, people wait too long to open best wines in their collection, deeming birthdays, anniversaries, and visits from old friends as somehow “unworthy.” Sooner or later, all wines lose their beauty, which may be the universe’s way of punishing people who hold on too tightly to something created for the joy of sharing. When in doubt, open and enjoy!

Over the past decade, one of the most interesting stories in the world of wine has been the rise in prominence of Sauvignon Blanc. From the aromatic, zesty, and citrus-driven Sauvignon Blancs of New Zealand to the lush and alluring expressions of the grape from Sonoma County, to the rise of California’s sophisticated and texturally driven “Super Sauvignons,” Sauvignon Blanc has emerged as one of America’s most popular wine grapes. In fact, based on data from Nielsen, Sauvignon Blanc represented 7.2% of total wine consumed in the US in 2023 and was the only wine varietal that grew by volume produced.

Sauvignon Blanc has a unique history. While most wine enthusiasts might think that Sauvignon Blanc originally hails from Bordeaux where it contributes to some of the region’s most sought-after white wines, the first mention of the grape seems to come from the Loire region of France in 1534. In fact, the first mention of Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux wasn’t until 1710, when it was referenced in Margaux. Based on modern DNA analysis, Sauvignon Blanc is a sibling to both Chenin Blanc and Trousseau. Even more interesting, Sauvignon Blanc along with Cabernet Franc are the parents of the world’s great red grape, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Today, Sauvignon Blanc is grown throughout the world from Sancerre and Pouilly in the Loire to the US, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, where it has quickly earned acclaim as a national treasure. In fact, despite not being planted in New Zealand until the 1970s, New Zealand is now the world’s top region for Sauvignon Blanc and is the source for almost half of all Sauvignon Blanc consumed in the US.

Depending on the climate in which it is grown and how yields are managed (it can be very vigorous), Sauvignon Blanc can express itself very differently. In New Zealand, where the temperatures rarely exceed 80º F, Sauvignon Blanc tends to be high in acidity and highly aromatic, with racy aromas and flavors of citrus and gooseberry. The wines are usually unoaked, which further underscores their sleek minerality. In Napa Valley, where the temperatures are much warmer, Sauvignon Blanc can take on a more rich and textural quality, with luxurious stone fruit and tropical notes emerging. The qualities can then be further enhanced with aging in oak, or the use of alternative fermentation vessels like concrete eggs, or even amphoras.

To craft our own 2023 Clockwise Sauvignon Blanc, Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen selected two exceptional vineyards in the Russian River Valley: Savona Vineyard, which is farmed by one of our long-time club members, and Hopkins Ranch. Warmer than New Zealand but cooler than Napa Valley, and with regular fog, the Russian River Valley offers a goldilocks climate for Sauvignon Blanc, providing ample ripening time, while staying cool enough to preserve the acidity that is so important for great Sauvignon Blanc. At Savona, which features very old vines, the range of flavors can go from tart and crisp to floral and rich. In contrast, the extremely low elevation, fog-influenced Hopkins Ranch produces incredibly aromatic and high-toned Sauvignon Blanc with intense fruit. Blended together, the result is a wine with aromas of fresh honeysuckle and jasmine, hints of baby grass and Key lime, and rich, mouth-filling flavors of golden apple and golden pear. Lush and tantalizing, our Clockwise Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc offers an elevated expression of the grape that is perfect for the warm spring and summer months.

A Rosé By Any Other Name

The history of rosé wines goes all the way back to ancient Greece, where many of the first recorded wines were made by crushing red and white grapes together and then watering down the resulting wine. In the sixth century, when the first grape vines from Greece were brought to what is now Southern France, rosés began to grow in popularity, offering a pleasant and vivacious alternative to red or white varietal wines. Later, when the Romans came to Provence, they began exporting the region’s rosés around the Mediterranean, where the wines were quickly embraced. Historically, rosé was often considered a vin de soif, or “wine to quench thirst,” and to some extent that is still true today, though the style of the finest rosés has changed dramatically.

A Change in Style: From Sweet to Dry

For many older generations of Americans, rosé meant White Zinfandel or perhaps Mateus or Lancers—sweet, pink wines made from inexpensive grapes. While this style was once hugely popular, by the late 1980s and early 1990s, rosé had earned a reputation as an unserious, mass-produced wine. This began to change in the 2000s. As more Americans began to be exposed to drier French rosés, they discovered how beautifully vibrant and refreshing they can be. Winemakers in the US took notice and were soon exploring drier, more complex, and graceful expressions of rosé, using new winemaking techniques, new methods, and new grape varietals.

The Grapes

While the ancient Greeks mixed red and white grapes together to make their blush wines, modern rosés are generally made exclusively from red grapes. While rosés can be made from almost any red grapes, many of the finest modern American rosés are made from the traditional Rhône grapes (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) or Pinot Noir. At MacRostie, Pinot Noir is our grape of choice when making rosé because it produces such a beautifully crisp and vibrant wine with enticing aromas and notions of graceful red fruit.

Saignée or Direct Press

The great majority of modern rosés are made using either the direct press or saignée methods. The direct press method means that the grapes are picked earlier at lower ripeness and lower Brix (sugar) levels. Once the grapes are pressed, the juice is quickly removed from the skins and seeds, yielding a wine with a light and delicate pink color. Because the grapes are picked earlier, they have very elegant aromas and flavors, with lovely acidity that adds structure and mouthfeel. In contrast, with the saignée method the grapes are allowed to ripen as they would for making a still Pinot Noir bottling. Once the grapes are pressed, some of the light-colored juice is drained off to be used for making rosé. Because these grapes were allowed to ripen more, they have higher Brix and more developed fruit flavors.

While most winemakers choose one method or the other, being the innovator that she is, our Winemaker, Heidi Bridenhagen uses both to build layers of flavor. “Rosé is a fun, yet challenging, wine to make,” she says. “Achieving the right color is all about timing and vineyard choice. Color is the first lure of this wine, and it is crucial to have it just right. To give the wine fruit aromatics, a round mid-palate, fresh acidity, and a poignant finish, 45% of the fruit went directly to press with the other 55% produced using the saignée method. Heidi also allowed a range of skin contact from 2-to-48 hours to vary the amount of color in each lot. The wine also benefitted by fermenting and aging in stainless steel tanks, which underscores the vintage’s lovely fruit aromas. The result is a beautifully elegant and dry rosé, with lifted tangerine and watermelon aromas, as well as a fun aroma that brings to mind youthful memories of bubblegum. On the palate, bright, crisp acidity is balanced by richer layers of ripe apricot and cantaloupe, resulting in a wine that is refreshingly smooth and ideal for enjoying during fun, al fresco gatherings.