Thursday, June 15, 2006

Buy a Rolling Stone and Put it on Ebay!

In our world of abundance it can be difficult to discern what is quality in all the quantity. Most of the time basic economics dictates where the quality lies. Think supply verse demand. In theory quality products are automatically more expensive. Of course there are ample examples where this theory fails. Just as some things are over priced, others can be under valued. A whole art form has evolved around understanding price in relation to value. In every industry these people are called collectors. Given time, a good collector is rewarded for their investment.

Wine has long had collectors. These are people often thought of as obsessed with wine, they can’t get enough. More accurately though the wine collector shares the same qualities found in collectors from other industries. No, not a crazy fetish gene, (though I’m sure the human genome project will soon show evidence that a hording gene exists) collectors are driven by discovering something before its value has peaked.

The best way to understand the rush of collecting is by starting a collection. I started with a bottle of Frog’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon. Fresh of the shelf Frog’s Leap is a quality organic wine. This California Cabernet Sauvignon opens with aromas of minerals and spice. In the glass flavors of blackberry, pepper and vanilla pick up as the wine builds to a lush mid-palate which eventually gives way to a long clean finish with soft resolved tannins.

Frog’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent wine, ready to be enjoyed. With age however, these flavors only seemed to intensify. Allowing for even softer tannins and more complex mid-palate flavors.

As with anything of quality, time allows the true beauty to shine through. In our busy world it is hard to always see quality in the moment. Collectors help grab moments of history for us so we can revisit greatness years later. With fresh eyes we can re-evaluate the collectible to discover how true quality holds up. For Frog’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon I’d say it held up extremely well. When ever a $30 bottle of wine drinks like a $130 bottle, it’s a worthy investment.

If you’re the sort that likes to collect I strongly suggest Frog’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 and the current issue of Rolling Stone. The wine will drink great especially given 5 years cellaring. The Rolling Stone should increase in value over the next 25 years. Kennedy Jr’s article will be remember for bringing the magazine back to its roots. Finally, Rolling Stone is more than a pop culture icon from years past; it is one again the magazine that represents the voice of a disgruntled generation. In the comming years I bet the June 2006 issue will fetch a nice price on Ebay. The truth about election fixing will eventually shine through. Until then, I'll need another glass of wine.

No comments: