While there are hundreds – thousands, even – of interesting wines to drink (and one should), a collection is something that should be curated according to strict standards.
And that limits the market for truly collectible wine to just a couple of hundred different labels.
For me a “collectible” wine should taste good, get better with age and appreciate in value over time.
While our Aglianicos and Xinomavros will certainly improve with age, there are very few that improve in value, and in many cases there will be no secondary market at all.
The single case sold this year of Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Riserva (a star wine made from the Aglianico) went for a 20 percent discount to its retail price, and top Naoussa producer Kir-Yianni has never sold a case at auction.
The sad truth is that the even in the most common and accepted categories, the secondary market lacks luster for any save the best bottlings from the top producers.
I see a striking resemblance to the beer resale market as well.