Clyde’s Advice on Wine Collecting

Wine collectors all have different reasons for selecting certain bottles for their collection; often it’s choosing wines that correspond with special birthdays, anniversaries, and other significant memories. Humble but fine purchases from lean years and more extravagant collectable gems from boom years, all track our journey through life. K&L’s co-founder/co-owner Clyde Beffa Jr. shares his tips for building your collection bottle by bottle.

Clyde’s inspiration for collecting began on his honeymoon with his wife Kay—Kay is the “K” in K&L Wine Merchants (the “L” is for Linda, co-founder Todd Zucker’s wife). Enter the February 1971 issue of Playboy magazine, vol. 18, num. 2—with the late Willi Ray as the centerfold, shot by Mario Casilli, the preeminent glamor photographer of the era. This was Clyde’s reading material on the plane, and it just so happened to feature an article called “Stocking the Urban Wine Cellar—A Gentlemen's Guide to the Pleasures and Protocol of the Grape” by William E. Massee. As a publication known for its quality editorial, Clyde actually read the article, which became the unexpected spark that ignited a lifelong passion for wine collecting. For inquiring minds, Kay was reading the 1970 novel Love Story by Erich Segal.

San Mateo native and Tracy-based dairyman, Clyde initially concentrated on the wines of nearby Livermore Valley—Concannon, Wente, and the Cresta Blanca property, which was founded in 1882 by Charles Wetmore who planted Sauvignon Blanc from Château d’Yquem cuttings. After consuming a substantial library of wine books, he branched out to Bordeaux. By 1973 he sold his 500-cattle dairy and moved back to San Mateo, eventually starting what would become K&L Wine Merchants in 1976 with his childhood friend, Todd Zucker.

Since then he’s made the trip to Bordeaux multiple times a year, and has visited and tasted the wines of most of the region’s properties—he has an amazing amount of stories. His cellar currently comprises 95% Bordeaux reds from 1928 to 2019, and he’s a wealth of wine collecting tips. Clyde advises, “I really stress collecting Bordeaux reds and California Cabernets as the backbone of a collection, but branch out to other regions. Also, get Pinot Noir from the U.S. and Burgundy. These reds will be drinkable before the Bordeaux and Cabs. Then you should taste red wines from Italy (Tuscany and Piemonte and the south), Rhône Valley in France, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa and see what you like—buy what you like.”

He suggests beginning a white wine collection with California Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, “and branch out to Loire Valley in France, Bordeaux whites, and especially Burgundy whites. Throw in a few German wines and some Sauternes from France to have some fruity/sweet whites to enjoy. Also, some Ports from Portugal for those winter months.”

When asked if return on investment (ROI) is a consideration when adding wines to his cellar, Clyde responded, “ROI means nothing to me when it comes my collection. Buy when you can afford to buy, and enjoy when you want to enjoy.” It’s both sensible and refreshing—the concept of building a collection entirely around your preferences and no one else’s. He adds, “Make sure you collect wines for your own palate. Buy what you like—if you like the wine young you will probably like it when it ages in your cellar for some years.”

He and Kay use an Excel spreadsheet to track their 1,500-bottle collection, with a copy left in the cellar for reference and an annual audit around Thanksgiving. There are other options like CellarTracker and even an old-fashioned pen and journal: vintage, country, region, producer, wine name, price paid, where purchased, drinking windows, and tasting notes keep things in proper order. If possible, he says he likes to include the winemaker’s name as it can explain style changes over time. Don’t forget to update as bottles are added and consumed. It takes discipline but as your collection expands, it saves a lot of time and headache.

And what’s on every collector’s mind, “The million-dollar question—when is a wine ready to drink? I would recommend that someone buy 4 to 12 bottles of each of the reds so that they can be tried over the course of several years. Whites I usually buy 6 bottles max of any wine."

Don’t let a restricted budget stop you from starting a collection. “You can find very good wines from these regions mentioned above for under $20 and even some fine wines for under $15. These wines are useful for everyday drinking and usually for parties. Some will cellar well for a few years. For $2,000 you can start a fine cellar of 100 bottles or so.”

Though Clyde has a well-insulated, partially underground cellar that he keeps at a steady 60 degrees, not everyone has the real estate to store an expansive collection. You can store your wines professionally at K&L if you want to get serious about your collection.

Here’s to life-changing inspiration from unexpected places, old-growth relationships, and all the wines you’ll collect and enjoy over the years. Listed below are a few potential cellar gems for your consideration. 

2020 Pichon-Lalande, Pauillac (Pre-Arrival, Elsewhere $235) $199.99 98DC 98JD 98JS 98TWI 98VN 97JA 97WE 97WS 95WA This is one of Clyde’s favorite estates, and a must-have for your cellar. Jeb Dunnuck says: “A deep, concentrated, flawlessly balanced 2020 that's built for the long haul, it needs a solid decade of cellaring and will be a 50+-year wine.”

2022 Lynch-Bages, Pauillac (Pre-Arrival) $149.99 98-99JS 96-98JD 97DC 97JA 95-97TWI 95-97VN Lynch-Bages shines in 2022, with dark, black-fruit, graphite, and herb notes on muscular shoulders. Leave this one be for a decade at least before you give it a try.

2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge, Pessac-Léognan (1.5L) $349.99 100JD 99JS DC98 98TWI 96-98WE 97JA 97VN 95WA 95WS Magnums age more slowly and are always worthy of a spot in your cellar. This is a special bottling for many reasons. Not only did it earn 100 points from Jeb Dunnuck, it sports a special anniversary label in honor of the Cathiard family’s 30 years at the the helm of the estate. Highly collectible.

2019 Gloria, St-Julien (Pre-Arrival) $46.99 96VN 95JA 95JD This is always a standout, year after year. Expresses all the spicy red fruit and structure of St-Julien, but clocks in at under $50!

2017 Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac $249.99 95JS Here’s your shot to own some Latour! 2017 was an uneven vintage, but Latour’s second label absolutely shined.

2021 Tour Saint Christophe, St-Emilion (Pre-Arrival, Elsewhere $30) $27.99 Vintage after vintage, this is one of our best sellers, and for good reason. Made by a great team at Vignobles K (after proprietor Peter Kwok), this wine is always delicious. In 2021, it’s also brooding and brawny, begging for some time in your cellar before it shows its full wonders. We love this wine and it proves that you do not have to spend hundreds to find a cellar-worthy gem.

—Kerry Kirkham, K&L Writer & Editor