Wine lovers and collectors, take note: Gerard Whatton, owner of the eponymous and now-shuttered Gerard’s in Des Peres, is selling off his massive wine cellar on a bottle-by-bottle basis.
Whatton says the collection numbers about 3,000 bottles. Most are so-called library wines (older vintages), which are largely unavailable at standard retail outlets. “Trophy wines, collectables, large-format bottles, some verticals—I’ve got them all,” he says. "All have been held in a temperature-controlled environment and properly cared for, so there’s no problem with authenticity and provenance.”
The long-time restaurateur says many of the more affordable wines have already been sold, but the mid- to higher-priced bottles (some 20 years old and older) are still available.
“They are all ready to drink now, but some can sit for a while longer,” he says. “There are no bad bottles.”
Whatton says he's priced the wines less than current value (if one can even be determined). The internet can also be used to determine fair pricing, but many of the bottles are “wines you simply cannot find,” he says. That's where pricing gets tricky.
In any case, it’s a rarity to find a cellar with so many older vintages for sale—especially on the cusp of gift-giving season.
Whatton is on site at the restaurant, located at 1140 Colonnade Center in Des Peres, from noon–7 p.m. daily “while supplies last.”
