An interview with Ron Fillous is a seriously committed wine collector who has learned everything one needs to know about wine by just drinking and buying.
Coral Gables, Miami. Ron Fillows is a top executive at a leading worldwide digital transformation consultancy firm. He is a corporate mogul who works mad hours, devoting most of his time to achieving results for his company. However, recalling the Bacardi Rum ad, “Banker by day, Bacardi by night,” Ron, like many other executives, has a passion, something totally different from his job that has given meaning to his existence and that made me connect with him immediately when I met him on a wine trip to Paris: Ron collects wine. He invited me to his home in Coral Gables to explore his collection and taste some of the most outstanding labels in his inventory; I was so impressed that I felt like I wanted to share his story with whoever takes the time to read my blog. I hope you enjoy it story and that it serves as inspiration if you need to create some spark in your life.
Describe that instant when you realized wine was something you could become mad about.
When I realized how well wine accented/enhanced food. I was at a family member's house for dinner, thinking, “Ho hum, wonder what time I will get home”. They served some wine, which wasn’t bad. Dinner was salad, steak, and a baked potato. However, when I tasted that California Cab with that grilled ribeye something magical happened. The wine made that steak come alive and the flavors in my mouth were like none other I had experienced in my life. To top it off, they served chocolate for dessert, and that same Cab made even chocolate taste better! That night was the enlightenment of how wine could enhance my dining experience.
After acknowledging that you wanted to go deeper into wine, what were your first steps?
Started learning more about wine and buying more.
What was the first amount of dollars you spent on a bottle or an order? Has that gone up? Down? Hasn’t changed?
Started out small to try as much as I could. If I wanted to splurge, I might buy a $100 bottle. Prices have been on the increase, so it’s more of a challenge to secure good bottles for a reasonable price. For example, in 2018, my sweet spot for a good bottle was between $100-160. Now those same bottles are between $150-200.
From what you told me, you began collecting in 2016 or so… You also told me (I think so, maybe I am wrong) that you had no previous knowledge, contact, or specific interest in wine. Back then, you knew very little about wine. Nowadays, you know a lot. Tell me where/how you acquired the knowledge you have now.
Yes, you are correct. People in the family liked wine and would serve it at holidays. For years I would drink some, but not really appreciate it. Then, like I said earlier, I realized how it accented the meal. Shortly after that, we had a wine tasting of some really nice bottles, which really sparked my interest more. At that point I was just absorbing as much information as I could. The big turning point was in 2018 when I went to Napa with family for four days. We did several tastings/tours (Hall, Quintessa, Chimney Rock, Odette, Barnett, Palmaz, Far Niente). I told myself I was not going to join any clubs, but after the Hall experience, I could not resist. We did several group case purchases of what we liked, my share was over $3,500 that trip. Since then, it has just been many tastings, reading, and more purchasing. One of the tastings was by James Suckling. It was spectacular and overwhelming at the same time, there were just so many quality wines to taste. I met James that night and started following him. I soon realized he had pretty much the same taste as me, and I could very much rely on his ratings to guarantee my purchases.
How much time of the week do you spend on your wine-collecting activity?
Probably an hour or two a week. I have to sift through many emails I receive from places I have purchased from looking for bargains.
What is the underlying reason for this collection? Is it just hedonism, love for the good life, or does it have a tiny bit of financial motivation? Have you made any financial models to estimate a possible profit if you were to sell your collection?
I would say it started off because I wanted to have enough bottles on hand to go with whatever I was having for dinner or having a good bottle to take to family/friends for dinner without having to stop at the wine store.
Describe your collection briefly (total investment, composition (%), preferences, whatever you think describes your uniqueness as a collector).
My collection is centered around California Cabs and Bordeaux. It totals over 700 bottles and has an approximate value of $50,000.
What is your uniqueness as a collector?
I don’t know, I’m not trying to be unique, I’m just trying to build the best collections of wine that I can afford. Maybe you would be the best person to say what makes me unique as a collector.
What is the most challenging aspect of becoming and being a wine collector.
I would say, as I was building my collection, it was storage. At first, I stored most of my wine in boxes piled in my guest bedroom. I looked at several storage options, but didn’t know how big it would get. My first purchase was two wine fridges, which held 300 bottles. The rest stayed in boxes, until one night my girlfriend and I were dining when we saw the restaurant displaying their wines in wood crates. We liked the look and for just a couple hundred bucks, I was able to display all my wine. Currently, my biggest challenge is NOT buying wine because of the size of the collection already. Now I just try to buy when it’s a great bargain or for something that I really want to taste.
For this last set of questions, answer without thinking; say the first to that comes to your mind (no cheating, please):
Red or white? Red.
Bubbles or rose? Bubbles.
Light or full body? Full body.
New World or Old World? New World.
Reds at room temperature or chilled? Chilled.
Napa or Bordeaux? This is VERY close, but I would give the edge to Napa
Wine cocktails , or is that a sinful concept? Does Sangria count as a wine cocktail? If so, that would be the only exception.
A wine for breakfast? No, but pretty much any other part of the day.
A wine to drink alone? It’s hard for me to drink wine alone, I would rather share with someone.
Your most precious bottle now? You had it. The 2005 Lynch Bages. Now, it would be a 2013 Continuum or 2015 Sassicaia.
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