Do you keep wine?

I have read, and heard, multiple times, in multiple places, from multiple people, that somewhere around 95% of us buy a bottle of wine to consume within a week, or less!95% is a big number, and like many big numbers meant to generally encompass a population it doesn’t tell the real story. First, I question how they came up with that number. I am still looking for the wine industry polling person standing outside of my favorite wine shop waiting to ask me; “When do you plan on drinking that bottle?” I have run into a lot of wine/drink representatives inside of stores, like grocery and big box stores, and have been asked many things, yet the question of when will I drink that bottle has yet to come up. Not saying it doesn’t happen, but it hasn’t happened to me, or anyone that I know.Several of my friends proclaim not to be “wine people.” They enjoy wine but don’t seek it out, yet all of them have a bottle, or several, stashed away in their homes. My friends who do proclaim to be “wine people” all have small to very large wine collections. So why would we, why do we, keep a bottle of wine?I kept a bottle of table wine from the Douro in Portugal that was from my birth year. I drank it, or attempted to, after my wedding. It was AWFUL, long past its prime, never meant to age that long! Another reason why many keep a bottle is because it was a gift, sometimes coming with the words; “This is a good wine!” Well, I hope so!Last week I got to share a special bottle of Gigondas, a red blend from the Rhône, with some very close friends. These friends had some family come visit, one of which had just recovered from a severe stroke, nearly dying. Being able to share a special bottle for such a special occasion is the big reason why we all keep wine.100% of us want to be able to mark such occasions, and wine fits the bill more than any other drink because it can age with us, as long as you pick a bottle that will age. With just a little research you can ensue that bottle of “special” wine will be good on that “special” occasion. So does that 95% number really reflect our modern wine drinking culture? Maybe, but probably not. My advice; definitely keep wine, and make more occasions special! I will always cheers to that!