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Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, or "Vinny" for short. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the technical aspects of winemaking to the fine points of etiquette. I hope you find my answers educational and even amusing. Looking for a particular answer? Check my archive and my FAQs.

Dear Dr. Vinny,

I am building a wine cellar in my home, and I am curious how most wine cellars are organized. I am sure the simple answer is personal preference, however, in your opinion, does it make more sense to organize the cellar by producer or varietal? Thank you for your time.

—M.G.C., Mill Valley, Calif.

Dear M.,

There are two halves to my cellar, which I organize differently. The first half is the stuff I dip into on a day-to-day basis, the everyday wines that I drink regularly with dinner (and that my spouse is welcome to dip into, guilt-free). I tend to keep these wines close to the door, and I organize them by varietal.

The other half of my cellar is filled with "library" wines, the long-term investments that I keep in the cooler, darker corners. These wines are often organized by country and producer, and I use those handy tags to identify the wines so I don't have to disturb them when I'm looking for something.

—Dr. Vinny

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