Blog Archives | Octavian

Octavian Hosts The Spectator wine Club

Octavian, the West Country company that, for the past 30 years, has set the standard for fine wine storage, recently held a unique cellar tour, tasting and ‘bring your own bottle’ lunch for eight intrepid Spectator readers, hosted by the magazine’s drinks editor, Jonathan Ray, Master of Wine, Sarah Abbot…

Chateau Musar

In the first in Octavian’s series on collectable wines, Michael Karam tells how Serge Hochar created Chateau Musar’s cult following

Young Collectors

Michael Karam tells us that younger and more demanding collectors are shaping the future of the fine wine market and how Octavian, the leading storage company, is wooing them

Peace of Mind

For wine lovers with large collections, storage is often an afterthought. This is understandable. The intrinsic quality of the wines themselves, the provenance, the experience – and yes, sometimes the display – all of these are considered fundamental to their enjoyment of their wine. And rightly so – they are…

The benefits of good quality storage

Most readers of this blog would agree that, broadly speaking, in life you get what you pay for. Of course, there are occasions when you might be surprised by a genuine bargain, but as a rule of thumb, paying two-star rates and expecting five-star service is the definition either of…

More Than Storage

There was a time when professionally storing your wine meant entrusting your bottles to a solid chap in a pair of corduroy trousers somewhere in St James’s after a handshake and good lunch. Would they be cellared properly? Probably. Were they insured? Possibly. But, could you track demand for a…

Protecting Your Wine Collection: Avoid These Costly Storage Mistakes

Fine wine is a legacy, an asset, and a passion. But without the right protection, its value, provenance, and quality can be lost. At Octavian, we are more than just a storage provider. We are custodians of the world’s most precious wine collections. We don’t just store your wine; we…

Golden Vines Weekend 2024

The Golden Vines Weekend 2024 brought together fine wine collectors, connoisseurs, and industry leaders in a grand celebration of wine and philanthropy. Held in Madrid, the weekend aimed to raise vital funds for the Gérard Basset Foundation, an organisation dedicated to creating a more diverse and inclusive future in the…

Carved in stone: the unique history of Octavian Vaults

Our home, locally known as Eastlays Mine, has a fascinating history from its origins in stone quarrying to its contemporary use in fine wine storage.

Thoughts from the vaults: cellaring resolutions

One allure of fine wine is its lifeline. Many of the bottles in Octavian’s vaults have been with us for decades, acquiring depth, nuance and value. No wonder that these wines are opened to celebrate precious milestones. Such transcendent wine experiences are created through diligence and are threatened by…

Thoughts from the vaults: December 2023

Rare bottles hold stories as well as wine. The world at large has been fascinated by tales of long-lost wines and spirits recovered from shipwrecks or found in a forgotten corner of a cellar. One of the most famous (and cringe-inducing) is that of a 1787 Château Margaux alleged to…