When is a wine ready to drink?
One of the things I most enjoy about wine is buying a case or a few bottles of the same wine and drinking them over a period of time. That way, I can see how the wine changes and evolves as it ages over time and work out when it is at its peak.
However, while some wines, like good red Bordeaux are meant to be aged, others are not built to last. For instance, many of today’s modern ‘new world’ style wines, both red and white are designed to be drunk, almost immediately.
Also, some people simply like the flavour of juicy fresh fruit, rather than more mature savoury flavours. So if that’s you, then don’t hesitate to open your bottles sooner rather than later and enjoy them for their youthful exuberance.
Personally, I always prefer to drink a wine on its way up, rather than risk drinking it on its way down. So I lean towards the ‘drink it young’ school. But each of us is different and there are no hard and fast rules as to when to drink a particular bottle. As a result, whenever I am asked the question, ‘when is a wine ready to drink? My advice is – when you are!
White wines for early drinking
Generally, red wines do age for longer than white wines because of their tannins, which act as a preservative. However, some white wines will age and improve over time.
White wines’ age-ability depends entirely on their origins, grape variety and quality. But generally, wines made in cool climates from grape varieties with plenty of acidity and structure can be good for the long haul into ripe old age.
In particular, wines such as Chablis, German Rieslings, Austrian Gruner Veltliners as well as whites from the Loire and Alsace will happily collect their pensions, assuming they are up to scratch to start with and then cellared properly. A good Alsace Riesling, (sweet or dry) for instance, will age and improve, developing richness and colour along with lovely complex flavours of honey and kerosene.
Other grape varieties though tend not to last so long and will go into a terminal decline within two or three years at most. For instance, most Sauvignon Blancs, Muscadets, Pinot Blancs, Pinot Grigios and Soaves are best drunk young and fresh as age almost certainly will wither them if you leave them too long.
Red wines for early drinking or keeping
Again, this is really a matter of personal taste, but varieties like Grenache, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Tempranillo, Dolcetto, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc can taste sublimely good when still in short trousers.
But if a wine has lots of structure, tannin and power, then a few years in a cool dark cellar will do wonders for them – in terms of texture and complexity. However, if you do crack open a bottle and think that it is still a little young, then a good thing to do is to de-cant it. By doing so, you will expose the wine to oxygen which can improve the aroma of the wine and add complexity to it as well.
But whatever you do, don’t leave your wine for too long. There’s nothing worse than opening something that you’ve been saving for a special occasion and looking forward to for years, only to find that it has passed its sell-by date! | |
Search
Thousands of Jobs,
Homes & Cars from the Gazette and Herald
| Powered by |
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | |
