Does Wine Improve With Age?

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Whether or not wine improves with age is an interesting question and one which has been debated for many years now. Unfortunately it is not a simple question to answer and one reason for this is that it involves a very subjective judgement – that of the individual drinker’s taste. However, let’s see if we can answer the question, at least in simple terms.

Wine, like any other foodstuff, can be kept for a period of time as long as the conditions are right and, like a good cheese, can actually improve in flavor over time. There comes a point however, even with the best storage conditions, at which it will no longer improve and indeed will begin to deteriorate. Some wines however are not in the same league as a good cheese and will not improve with time and indeed may start to deteriorate quite quickly. So which wines will keep (and sometimes improve with age) and which should you drink while they are still young?

In very general terms the life of a wine is determined by the grape used to make the wine and wines which last and often improve with age are generally made from grapes such as Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. If the balance between fruitiness, acidity and tannin is right then the wine can be kept for years and will often improve with age.

So, how do you know how long a particular wine can be kept? The simply answer is that you don’t except from your experience of the keeping qualities of similar wines. And, when I say ‘your experience’ I do mean ‘your experience’ because a 10 year old wine that tastes great to you might not taste great to someone else. Remember, I said the biggest problem we face here is that whether or not a wine will keep is very much a matter of subjective judgement.

The secret is to start by buying quality wine which experience (or advice) tells you will improve with age and then storing it correctly. If you have a stone wine cellar that is great but, if not, then that means buying yourself a wine fridge. There are many great fridges available today and they do a wonderful job of keeping your wine at the perfect temperature and also controlling such things as humidity and light levels.

Also, buy wine in reasonable quantities, by the case rather than by the bottle. Then, each year you can open a bottle and see how it is doing. If you have chosen wisely you will find that your wine and your enjoyment of it improves from year to year. Make a record each time you open a bottle and document the progress of your favorite wines from year to year. Once you reach the point at which you no longer see an improvement from the previous year your wine has reached it peak and you should consider drinking it and enjoying it with your friends and family now before it begins to decline.

Wine can bring great pleasure and, in many cases, can indeed improve from one year to the next. Storage is however one of the keys to success so, if you do not already have one, click here to see some of the wonderful wine fridges available today.