Editions

Notes on wine, service, and the rituals worth keeping.

IndustryJuly 2026· 6 min read

What It Really Costs to Buy Fine Wine Through an Advisor

Marketplace commissions, auction premiums, retail markups — and the fee-only alternative. How every channel is paid, and what that does to the advice.

CellarsJuly 2026· 6 min read

Your First Serious Cellar: A $10k, $25k, and $50k Blueprint

What each budget actually buys, the mistakes first collections make, and how a cellar gets designed rather than accumulated.

IndustryJuly 2026· 6 min read

Corporate Wine Gifting: A Complete Guide for Firms

Budgets by recipient tier, order-by dates for December, compliance and record-keeping — and why the gift basket fails where a bottle succeeds.

CellarsJuly 2026· 5 min read

What Does a Wine Collection Appraisal Cost?

A plain answer to a question most appraisers won't put in writing: what a USPAP-compliant wine appraisal costs, and why percentage-of-value pricing is a red flag.

TastingsJuly 2026· 5 min read

Corporate Wine Tasting: What to Expect and What to Budget

Formats, timing, per-guest budgeting, and the compliance details that matter for law, finance, and family-office events.

CellarsJuly 2026· 6 min read

Insuring a Wine Collection: What Homeowners Policies Miss

Sub-limits, breakage vs. spoilage, mechanical breakdown of cooling — where a standard policy fails, and why insurers want a USPAP-compliant appraisal before they'll schedule a collection properly.

CellarsJuly 2026· 6 min read

Inheriting a Wine Collection: A Guide for Executors and Heirs

First steps when a cellar passes into an estate — stabilizing storage, securing a date-of-death valuation, and choosing among keep, donate, and sell.

CellarsJuly 2026· 6 min read

Reporting a Wine Collection on Form 706: A Guide for Executors and Estate Attorneys

How a wine collection is valued and reported on the federal estate tax return — date-of-death fair market value, why a USPAP appraisal matters, and the recordkeeping executors should keep in the file.

CellarsJuly 2026· 6 min read

Donating Wine to Charity: Form 8283 and the Rules That Actually Matter

When a qualified appraisal is required, what makes an appraiser qualified, how the appraisal summary works, and the practical traps that catch donors off guard.

CellarsJuly 2026· 5 min read

How Often Should a Wine Collection Be Re-Appraised?

Insurance schedule drift, market movement, additions and withdrawals, and estate planning changes all argue for a regular re-certification cadence.

CellarsJuly 2026· 6 min read

Wine Storage in New York: Professional Facility, Home Cellar, or Wine Fridge

Temperature stability, humidity, vibration, and light — what serious storage actually requires, and how storage history affects provenance and resale.

CellarsJuly 2026· 6 min read

How Much Is My Wine Worth? The Honest Answer

Retail asking price, auction hammer, and net-after-fees realized value are three different numbers for the same bottle. Here's what actually drives each.

TastingsJuly 2026· 5 min read

What a Private Sommelier Dinner Costs, and What You're Actually Paying For

Fee structure, wine budget kept separate, guest count, and venue coordination — what distinguishes a bespoke evening from a group tasting class.

CellarsJuly 2026· 6 min read

When to Drink Your Wine: Managing a Cellar's Drinking Windows

The single most common cellar failure isn't a buying mistake — it's leaving the right wine too long. How drinking windows are estimated, and how to build a pull list.

PairingMarch 2026· 4 min read

Texture Over Intensity: A Pairing Principle

The most memorable pairings aren't about matching power to power. They're about texture — the weight of a wine against the surface of a dish.

CellarsFebruary 2026· 3 min read

A Cellar With Intention

A great cellar isn't a warehouse. It's a reflection of how you live, how you entertain, and what you reach for on an ordinary Tuesday.

TravelJanuary 2026· 5 min read

The Quiet Logistics of a Perfect Journey

The best wine trips feel effortless. That's because the logistics — the transfers, the timing, the private appointments — were handled long before you arrived.

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