Collecting Wine- Tips by Michael Madrigale, Head Sommelier at Bar Boulud

Michael Madrigale, Head Sommelier, Bar Boulud

Collecting wine, how to collect wine, what to do, where to look…. These are such vast topics, they each deserve a blog post (and more) on their own. However, it is my mission to make things simpler and a bit more accessible than what they seem to be. So I went after Michael Madrigale, Head Sommelier at Bar Boulud http://www.danielnyc.com/barboulud.html, social media master (follow him on Twitter http://twitter.com/BARBOULUD) and overall, a really cool and down to earth guy who absolutely loves what he does. Despite the long hours managing the cellar, buying, budgeting and running the floor, talking to diners, tasting wine….

Bar Boulud

Bar Boulud is Daniel Boulud’s fabulous Upper West Side bistro, which, besides having delicious food, is very wine centric. Michael’s preferences inform the wine collection at Bar Boulud. The majority of the outstanding wines at this über-cool spot are Burgundy and Rhône, because they really complement the restaurant’s menu. They are also extraordinary wines.

The day-to-day cellar in the basement of the restaurant is truly AMAZING!

Every night, based upon his weekly discussions with the chef, Michael selects a Magnum (1.5 liter bottle for all regions) or Jeroboam (3 liter bottle of Bordeaux) or Methuselah (6 liter bottle of Burgundy) or Imperial (6 liter bottle of Bordeaux) to be poured and sold by the glass. He also Tweets his choices. The selection is always distinctive, including fabulous vintages, Grand Crus, and more. And no glass of wine is ever more expensive than $25. Michael’s Twitter followers don’t walk, they RUN to Bar Boulud to drink from the coveted bottle and everybody has a blast. As a bonus (and what a bonus), the art that is hanging on the walls of the restaurant is a whole series of wine stains made especially by Vik Muniz for Daniel. Here, Vik explores the duality that exists between something as divine as wine and something as despicable as the stains they leave behind. Brilliant.

One of Vik Muniz's wine stains photographs.  Since Rhone is one of Michael's faves, I chose Guigal "La Turque" 1991, a Syrah that got 99 points by Robert Parker

So I asked Michael to give me his tips on how to collect wine. He feels the most important thing that collectors or aspiring collectors should do is read a lot: understand the wines, the production, the philosophy behind each vineyard and the passion of a winemaker. It also helps to understand the nuances of the wine market without jumping to buy whatever is being offered on the internet or at auctions (which are often priced higher than the wine is actually worth). My own favorite references in this area are “The Wine Advocate” (Robert Parker’s famed bimonthly super-specialized magazine) and Wine Spectator, which is fun, colorful and filled with excellent advice and information. On the blog side, I like Dr. Vino http://www.drvino.com/ and of course, Gary Vainerchuck’s Wine Library TV http://tv.winelibrary.com/

Michael's "Hall of Fame"

One other thing that Michael mentioned a lot is how the crazy wine market can make affluent people spend inordinate amounts of money for cases of wine that aren’t really worth that much. As an example, he mentions the Californian wines of 1999 and 2000 , describing the frenzy they provoked but the ultimately disappointing quality of the wines. Michael also advises to be very careful at wine auctions: prices will always be increased due to premiums and other fees and most of the time, for the really good wines, there will be other guys pushing very hard to get a case of that fabulous (and hard to find) Burgundy or Bordeaux.

One of Michael's selections of the week! Le Pergole Torte, a fab Sangiovese!

Michael’s advice for collectors who love French wines (and who doesn’t?)—explore the northern Rhône region, which he finds (and I agree) spectacular and still accessible; including the reds from Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage, which have some of the best Syrah out there. All in all, Michael’s passion is contagious and his love affair with wine is one of those things that must be experienced in person. If you are in NYC, go and have dinner at Bar Boulud, or, even better, check what’s being poured tonight and get excited on your way there! À votre santé!