My wine collection is rapidly shrinking and I’m blaming 2020.

After white-knuckling our way through the bushfires over summer, we had a brief reprieve before the global pandemic set in. As I write this, COVID-19 is causing unprecedented challenges and no one quite knows where we’re headed.

One thing I do know, however, is that my wines have never been more enticing – and not just in the way you might think.

People cellar wines for all sorts of reasons and I’ve realised just how much comfort my collection brings. From the cheapies and old favourites to those special bottles, these wines are a joy to drink. As someone who has often baulked at opening them in the past, this is a long-overdue revelation.

It started with an 18-year-old Coonawarra shiraz that I forgot I had. It didn’t rate highly and should have been past it, but it was in incredible form and kicked off an unplanned long lunch with friends. Then came the three-year-old sentimental bottle of Mornington pinot I’d intended to keep longer, but the reminiscing it inspired was so good for the soul. I’ve since been enjoying a range of wines from my collection, and I’m now loving the process of choosing new bottles to go back in there.

Our Last Drinks story in this edition taps into this emotive side of wine, with 10 top producers sharing the final bottles they’d choose to drink and the beautiful stories behind them. We also offer tangible cellaring tips, along with a range of other stories that are packed with ideas on the wines you can be drinking right now.

It’s an unsettling time, so we hope you’re doing okay, perhaps enjoying some great bottles, planning future adventures, and building up – and tucking into – your own wine collection.