Wine Improves with Age: Fact or Fiction?
Some wines DO improve with age. But if you assume that ALL wines benefit from being laid down for several years, you are in for some very nasty disappointments.
There has always been a belief that old wine is better than new wine. Even in the Bible, there are references to the superiority of old wine over new, such as in Luke’s gospel, “No man…having drunk old wine, straightaway desireth new; for he saith, The old is better.” Even today, a surprising number of people believe that “old” equals “good”.
The fact is that only a very small proportion of wines benefit from being aged. For a start, almost all white wines need to be drunk within 2-3 years at the most. Even that is too long for many.
Some red wines do improve with age. For a wine to be aged successfully, it must have a balance of tannin, acidity and fruitiness. And this balance must come from the grape, not be added afterwards. The tannin slows down the oxidation process.
Some people say a rule of thumb is if a wine costs less than $25, don’t bother! Among wines where aging works well are:
· Cabernet Sauvignon – 10-15 years
· Pinot Noir – 5-10 years
· Zinfandel and Chardonnay – drink when it is “oaky”.
So if you’re a newcomer to wine, how do you find your way through all this? How can you avoid making disastrous and expensive mistakes?
The most important thing you have to remember is that it is mostly a matter of personal taste. A particular 10-year old wine may taste wonderful to you and horrible to someone else.
The best way to start is to buy a case of a particular wine that you know has the potential to be aged successfully, such as a good Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink a bottle every year and note down its characteristics (in the way that wine-tasters do). That way you will be able to compare each year with the one before. As soon as it stops improving – drink it!
(Mind you – if you find that one year it really rocks, don’t bother keeping it any longer! Just enjoy it!)
The best advice – which all wine experts agree on – is that it’s much better to drink it too young than let it spoil. At the end of the day, wine’s there to be enjoyed, not worried about. So make sure you enjoy it!
