'Variety is the spice of life' rings true in collecting wines

WHEN one first starts buying wine, particularly when building up a personal collection, one quickly learns that the two principal considerations - apart from price, of course - are names of desirable and favourite wines and vintage evaluations. Listing one's favourite wines is easier, compiled from one's drinking experience. Vintage evaluations are learnt from browsing wine pages on the Internet, and ratings from drinking sessions and discussions with fellow wine lovers.

That is today. But 30 years ago, there was no Internet. And there were few reasonably experienced wine drinkers, let alone wine lovers, in one's community - Singapore. There was only the Decanter magazine, thank goodness, and …