Aging Wines: What to lay down and what to drink

A wine is worth aging if it has the ability to improve in quality over time. While wine is perishable and capable of going bad, there is an evolution that takes place in the bottle involving complex chemical reactions associated with sugars, acids, and tannins that will affect the aroma, color, mouth-feel, and overall taste. While the preferred profile of a wine is going to be subjective, most “in the know” will agree that not all wines will improve with age. Grape variety, viticultural practices, region, vintage, and style will influence a particular wine’s ability to successfully age and mature, as will the condition in which it’s kept.

In general, wines with high tannin levels and/or a low PH will have a greater capability of aging – most notably complex or full bodied red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Sangiovese to name a few. Although, just because a wine has a greater capability of aging, doesn’t necessarily mean it will be significantly beneficial. In reality, probably less than 10% of all red wines, and 5% of all white wines are likely to improve significantly enough with age to justify laying it down for more than a year or two. In fact, most inexpensive to moderately priced wines (say $5 to $25 per bottle) purchased in stores today are ready to drink now. A good reason to age a particular wine would be to soften over-powering tannins and better reveal a more mature bouquet of flavors and aromas. There’s really no good reason to age a wine that already has soft tannins and an enjoyable fruit structure. In fact, aging an inexpensive to moderately priced wine can be more detrimental than not, as the fruit and floral aromas may begin to diminish, and volatile chemical and alcohol related off aromas set in.

With age, you’ll notice that white wines will tend to darken, and red wines will lighten as oxidation takes its toll on the pigmentation. Both will take on a yellow or golden hue that will ultimately appear as straw in whites and amber or brick in reds, before finally turning to brown as they begin to break down, over-oxidize, and eventually spoil. Additionally, almost all wine will begin to develop sediment with age as tartaric acid begins to crystallize, and proteins and tannins bond to form particles of matter. In any case, if you decide to lay a wine down, be sure to keep it out of sunlight and at a consistent temperature as close to 65 degrees as possible. Once opening, the use of a decanter will help blow off volatile off aromas, restore a pleasant bouquet, and separate unwanted sediment.

I believe that more wine is consumed too old, rather than too young, as I too have been guilty of aging wines for no better reason than because I was saving good bottles for perfect occasions that never seem to be good enough to warrant opening them. I wonder how many bottles of wine are left behind, or go bad, because they were forgotten or left behind by those passing on. Enough is enough! There is no promise for tomorrow! Pull that cork, bond with some American, French, Italian, Spanish, or Argentinean terroir, and enjoy life while you can!