Now we have a fine example for your free non-commercial use, and many thanks to my friend Robert C. Ross -- who devised this spreadsheet for his own collection -- for making it available to the wine-loving public. Read Bob's summary; then click either of the links at the bottom of the page to download your choice of the Excel version or a plain-text, tab-delimited version that should be importable into any spreadsheet or database program.

-- RG

By BOB ROSS

Generally, the columns in the database are adapted from those used in the Parker database. The first two columns identify each location in the racks, under a system suggested by Hugh Johnson: it makes maximum use of all space available. It is sometimes odd to see what ends up next to each other from time to time - a $10 Chilean wine next to a prized Cheval Blanc, for example, but it works for me.

I print the whole thing out; cross off bottles consumed on the print out each time we take out a bottle; when the floor is too crowded or I get a neatness attack, I re-stock the empty spaces and fill in the database with the new information. Then make a new printout until the next time.

One limitation with this system is the number of columns one can sort on. If I were willing to do it over, I would use a database manager like Access. But this has worked really well for me for over five years, and I'd rather learn about wine than re-code or learn to re-format for another system.

A = Row
B = Space within Row
C = Producer - I tend to be fairly simple here; Beringer, for example.
D = Label - this is exactly what the producer called the wine; sometimes duplicates the Variety, Region or Location headings, but that hasn't seemed to be a problem in practice when I search for stuff.
E = Vintage
F = Grape variety
G = Country - e.g. US, France, Italy, etc.
H = Region - e.g. California, Virginia, New York, etc.
I = Location - e.g. Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Carneros, etc.
J = Rating - My five stars system, Tanzer or Parker are the most common. [I convert my five stars to a 100 point system so I can sort against Tanzer and Parker, and I add two points to Tanzer because I think he is a somewhat tougher grader than Parker. The only purpose of this column is to look quickly at stuff that's really good for special occasions.]
K = Drink from date.
L = Drink until date.
M = Class - Red, White, Rose, Dessert, Port, etc.
N = Source
O = Cost
P = Estimated value - kept for insurance purposes under a rider to our Homeowners.

Things I don't use: Bottle Size - most to my stuff is 750 mm; those that aren't 750 mm are obvious for all the purposes I care about.

I don't keep track of wine consumed; I keep a wine diary for that purpose. When wine goes out, I just blank out the spaces after A and B, which indicates location, and then fill in the new information when I re-stock that space.

And now, click either link below to download a copy: