When does a hobby turn into an obsession?

[DRT]

Following some recent purchases and transfers to my off-site storage facility I have built up the courage to count the number of bottles I currently own. The results were quite suprising to me as I seem to have trippled the number of bottles in my collection since the last time I recall counting them.

I now have 363 bottles of port, at least 90% being VP, and around 150 bottles of red wine.

Should I start to worry that I am becoming slightly obsessive about my interest in Port and wine or am I worrying about nothing?

Derek

[mosesbotbol]

"When does a hobby turn into an obsession?"

If you are on this site, I think that is a turning point...

I am over 50% VP in my cellar as well and could care less.

[KillerB]

Mine is more like 10% Port, 5% Champagne and 75% Red. There is some other stuff including whites and stickies. I want to increase my Port holding but other priorities for my money exist atm.

[g-man]

I'm 8% VP, 2% whites, 2% champagne, 3% other stickies and 85% reds

[Sideways]

Obsession?

Ask yourself, how often do you simply stand and stare at your wine rack?

Nurse! the blinds!

Me- 50% red, 30% white, 10% port (mostly LBV), 5% sherry, 5% fizz. Roughly x250 bottles. I also have around 100 bottles of homemade wine that I rarely drink, most gets given away.

[DRT]

Ask yourself, how often do you simply stand and stare at your wine rack?

Nurse! the blinds!

Guilty

[jdaw1]

Should I start to worry that I am becoming slightly obsessive about my interest in Port

Not unless you’re responsible for most of 20% of the posts on a busy port bulletin board.

[Axel P]

Interesting topic! I think it comes to obsession when you mentally try to go to your happy place and there is a bottle of Port included.

For me it is an obsession. Because of the fact that alcohol is included it is always a dangerous one. Now all of you will stand up and say: no, Im just doing it for the taste. Yeah, me, too, but if you had the choice of VPs with exactly the same taste without alcohol...

Anyways: welcome to the club, Derek. If you start asking yourself this kind of questions, it is already too late. The big secret is now: try to hide it as long as you can from the "outside world" (meaning everyone outside this forum), because no one else will ever understand you.

Axel

[uncle tom]

I have almost exactly the same quantity of table wine as Derek, but have 2166 bottles of port (all bar 105 bottles are VP)

So if Derek's an obsessive, I must be certifiable..

Anyway, there will only be 2165 bottles later, so a small step towards sanity..

Tom

[DRT]

So if Derek's an obsessive, I must be certifiable..

I have no problem agreeing with that statement

Derek

[g-man]

Anyway, there will only be 2165 bottles later, so a small step towards sanity..

Tom

my god! Though, my pavlovian response was watering of the mouth thinking about all those bottles. Would that make me certifiable too or just obsessive?

[KillerB]

Anyway, there will only be 2165 bottles later, so a small step towards sanity..

Tom

my god! Though, my pavlovian response was watering of the mouth thinking about all those bottles.

I like meringue as well

[ac-fast]

I have about 25 bottels of port, I have only been interesting in port for about 1,5 year

Im a port newbee

[Alex Bridgeman]

Following some recent purchases and transfers to my off-site storage facility I have built up the courage to count the number of bottles I currently own. The results were quite suprising to me as I seem to have trippled the number of bottles in my collection since the last time I recall counting them.

I now have 363 bottles of port, at least 90% being VP, and around 150 bottles of red wine.

Should I start to worry that I am becoming slightly obsessive about my interest in Port and wine or am I worrying about nothing?

Derek

Personally, I don't think that anything that you have written above would indicate that you are obsessive about your hobby.

The kinds of danger signs to look out for are:
- always thinking about port
- finding yourself sitting on a train and wondering which bottle to open next
- wondering how long it is to the next offline
- wondering whether there are any new posts on a forum related to your hobby
- planning trips and holidays around your hobby
- missing the start of trips and holidays because of the after-effects of your hobby
- spending more on your hobby than you planned
- filling your home-gym with boxes full of your hobby and saying things like "It's not mine, it's all that awful Alex, he forces me to keep it here for him..."
- and saying things like "I only have 25 bottles, I've only been interested for 1½ years". (I think, 1½ years after I became interested I had 11 bottles! 25 after 18 months is quite impressive.)

Alex

[DRT]

Following some recent purchases and transfers to my off-site storage facility I have built up the courage to count the number of bottles I currently own. The results were quite suprising to me as I seem to have trippled the number of bottles in my collection since the last time I recall counting them.

I now have 363 bottles of port, at least 90% being VP, and around 150 bottles of red wine.

Should I start to worry that I am becoming slightly obsessive about my interest in Port and wine or am I worrying about nothing?

Derek

Personally, I don't think that anything that you have written above would indicate that you are obsessive about your hobby.

The kinds of danger signs to look out for are:
- always thinking about port
- finding yourself sitting on a train and wondering which bottle to open next
- wondering how long it is to the next offline
- wondering whether there are any new posts on a forum related to your hobby
- planning trips and holidays around your hobby
- missing the start of trips and holidays because of the after-effects of your hobby
- spending more on your hobby than you planned
- filling your home-gym with boxes full of your hobby and saying things like "It's not mine, it's all that awful Alex, he forces me to keep it here for him..."
- and saying things like "I only have 25 bottles, I've only been interested for 1½ years". (I think, 1½ years after I became interested I had 11 bottles! 25 after 18 months is quite impressive.)

Alex

Alex,

Thanks for the reassuring words. It seems I have nothing to worry about. Phew!

Derek

[Michael M.]

Oh, I suppose it is allready very serious if a Brit wonders about his obsessions.

I do not count the bottles anymore. But I notice a continued decreasing interest in other wines. I think I will give them all away. They are boring too much. Recently I had to hard-sell myself a very decent priced Bordeaux 2005 (you know, the Bordeaux Vintage of the last 100 years). I said to myself "buy it, cheap, 2005, buy, buy buy!!!". O.k., I did it, but it was no fun.

Cheers
Michael

[SushiNorth]

I've actually been worried about this recently, though I've rather consciously been holding back of late. I'm probably at around 60 bottles of VP, I've ducked into wine stores I pass "just to see," and find myself looking for the port or sake books as the first stop in a bookstore. I've drunk very few of the bottles, they just go into the cellar.

But actually, I reached my goal. I picked up a few bottles from the 80's, thereby filling out the spread, and so now I'm done til another declared vintage appears. The goal is a baker's dozen per big year. So no more buying... well... maybe an off year or two, or a budget, but other than that, time to start drinking em. Make some room. There's always next year.

Unless that SWC 77 is really good, and then I'm going to get more down at sohowines which jdaw introduced me to. woohoo!

[DRT]

SN,

There is no hope for you. You have already crossed the line into the Obsessive Zone and it is only a matter of time before you break the 100 bottle barrier, probably by Christmas.

I too live by the baker's dozen rule, although I tend to apply it to half dozens to increase the spread of wines. I find it really unnerving to buy a case or a half case and stick it straight into storage without opening a bottle. The baker's extra bottle is the ideal solution.

I am sure you are drawing much comfort from the fact that you and I suffer from at least one similar trait

Derek

[SushiNorth]

I too live by the baker's dozen rule, although I tend to apply it to half dozens to increase the spread of wines. I find it really unnerving to buy a case or a half case and stick it straight into storage without opening a bottle. The baker's extra bottle is the ideal solution.

so half dozen +1 for each year (ed. Or for each house/quinta)? Hmm... my trouble is I like the idea of having enough of something amazing from a good year that I won't feel guilty opening it, but at the same time i like to have a spread from different houses in that year. This gives me the chance to buy 6 of something well recommended and 2 from 3 other houses, plus one "oh what the hell" bottle.

I apply the +1 rule to any wine i buy. If it's good enough to chance one, its worth getting two in the hopes that I'll be amazed by the first bottle (else the second goes with me to a party).

it is only a matter of time before you break the 100 bottle barrier,

Must... drink... faster...

[RonnieRoots]

Feeling sorry for myself that I can only reach my stock one or two times a year, I decided that I'm allowed to buy every bargain I come accross. Is that obsessive too?

Other than that I am willing to fly around half the world if a not-to-be-missed offline is organised.

[DRT]

Feeling sorry for myself that I can only reach my stock one or two times a year, I decided that I'm allowed to buy every bargain I come accross. Is that obsessive too?

Other than that I am willing to fly around half the world if a not-to-be-missed offline is organised.

Ronnie,

Don't worry, your Obsessive status will remain intact throughout your time in the desert

Derek

[RonnieRoots]

Feeling sorry for myself that I can only reach my stock one or two times a year, I decided that I'm allowed to buy every bargain I come accross. Is that obsessive too?

Other than that I am willing to fly around half the world if a not-to-be-missed offline is organised.

Ronnie,

Don't worry, your Obsessive status will remain intact throughout your time in the desert

Derek

Thanks, that's very much appreciated.

[10Anos]

I will find out in 8 hours and 12 minutes and 38 seconds...

I'd say a countdown this precise also qualifies...

[KillerB]

When does a hobby turn into an obsession?

When you buy things like this:



and this:

[DRT]

You may have a point.