Spirits: What to Record

Identification

Producer Text Wine & spirits

Winery, estate, house or distillery, e.g. Château Margaux, Egon Müller, Krug.

Wine / cuvée Text Wine & spirits

Name of the wine or cuvée, e.g. Grand Vin, Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese, Grande Cuvée.

Vintage Text Wine & spirits

Harvest year, or NV for non-vintage blends.

Wine country Text Wine & spirits

Country of origin.

Region Text Wine & spirits

Wine region, e.g. Bordeaux, Mosel, Napa Valley.

Appellation / classification Text Wine & spirits

Protected designation and classification, e.g. Pauillac AOC Premier Grand Cru Classé, Barolo DOCG, Erste Lage.

Reference link Link Wine & spirits

Web page about this object or its reference entry (catalogue, database, sale).

Spirit type Choice, or your own

Kind of spirit.

14 choices

• Scotch whisky (single malt)
• Scotch whisky (blend / grain)
• Irish whiskey
• American whiskey (bourbon, rye)
• Japanese whisky
• Other whisky
• Cognac
• Armagnac
• Other brandy
• Rum
• Gin
• Tequila / mezcal
• Vodka
• Liqueur

Distillery Text

Distillery, e.g. Macallan, Springbank, Buffalo Trace.

Age / grade Text

Age statement or grade, e.g. 18 years, XO, Hors d'Âge, NAS.

Distilled / bottled Text

Distillation and bottling dates, e.g. distilled 1990, bottled 2015.

Cask Text

Cask type and number, e.g. first-fill sherry butt no. 1234.

Bottler Choice

Who bottled the spirit.

• Official / distillery bottling
• Independent bottler
• Private / club bottling
• Unknown

Outturn / bottle number Text

Bottle number and outturn, e.g. 123 of 540.

Cask strength Choice

Whether bottled at cask strength.

• Cask strength
• Reduced
• Unknown

Bottle

Size, closure and state of the bottles.

Bottle size Choice, or your own Wine & spirits

Bottle size; the names follow Champagne usage, Bordeaux names differ for some sizes.

11 choices

• Piccolo (0.1875 l)
• Half bottle (0.375 l)
• Standard (0.75 l)
• Litre (1 l)
• Magnum (1.5 l)
• Double magnum / Jeroboam in Champagne (3 l)
• Rehoboam (4.5 l) / Jeroboam in Bordeaux (4.5 to 5 l)
• Methuselah / Imperial (6 l)
• Salmanazar (9 l)
• Balthazar (12 l)
• Nebuchadnezzar (15 l)

Quantity Whole number, at least 1 Wine & spirits

Number of identical pieces held, when they are recorded together.

Alcohol (% vol) Number Wine & spirits

Alcohol by volume as on the label.

Closure Choice, or your own Wine & spirits

Closure of the bottle.

• Natural cork
• Technical / agglomerated cork
• Screw cap
• Glass stopper
• Synthetic cork
• Wax-sealed cork

Fill level Choice Wine & spirits

Ullage of older bottles, the main sign of storage and risk.

• Into neck
• Base of neck
• Very top shoulder
• Top shoulder
• Upper shoulder
• Mid shoulder
• Low shoulder

Original case Choice Wine & spirits

Original packaging, which matters for fine wine.

• Original wooden case (OWC)
• Original carton (OC)
• Gift box
• No original packaging

Cellar

Storage and when to drink.

Storage conditions Text Wine & spirits

Where and how the wine has been stored, e.g. own cellar at 12 °C since release, bonded warehouse.

Drink from Year Wine & spirits

First year of the recommended drinking window.

Drink until Year Wine & spirits

Last year of the recommended drinking window.

Critic score Text Wine & spirits

Scores with critic, e.g. 98 Wine Advocate, 18.5/20 Jancis Robinson.

Condition

Condition notes Text Wine & spirits

Faults, wear and damage in detail.

Acquisition

How and when the object came into the collection.

Acquisition date Date Wine & spirits

Date the object came into the collection.

Acquisition method Choice, or your own Wine & spirits

How the object came into the collection.

• Purchase
• Auction
• Gift
• Inheritance
• Exchange / trade
• Self-collected / found
• Commission

Acquired from Text Wine & spirits

Seller, auction house (with sale and lot number), donor or place where it was found.

Purchase price Amount Wine & spirits

Price paid including fees and premiums.

Provenance Text Wine & spirits

Earlier owners and the object's history, oldest first, with sources (labels, invoices, sale catalogues).

Value

Estimated and insured value.

Estimated value Amount Wine & spirits

Current market value as estimated.

Valuation date Date Wine & spirits

Date of the current value estimate.

Valuation basis Choice Wine & spirits

What the estimated value is based on.

• Own estimate
• Recent sales / auction results
• Dealer offer
• Catalogue value
• Professional appraisal
• Insurance valuation

Insured value Amount Wine & spirits

Sum the object is insured for.

Collection record

Your own inventory data.

Inventory number Text Wine & spirits

Your own number or label for the object, e.g. C-0042, as written on its label or album page.

Storage location Text Wine & spirits

Where the object is kept, e.g. room, cabinet, drawer, album and page, box.