Aging Red Wines

One of the questions I often get asked is if red wine always gets better with age. The rules are different for white, sparkling and fortified wines, and we will cover those in time.

Simply put, the vast majority of red wine is meant to be consumed young, within 2-5 years of their vintage date. Most wine you purchase at the store is not meant for aging, as stores tend to cater to most customers who crack the bottle open a few hours after purchase...for example: party gifts or date nights.

In order to stand the test of time, red wine must be bold and tannic, but with structure, balance and proper concentration- just remember that older does not always mean better. When wines are young, they are more vibrant and lively with fruit being the primary descriptors...but as they age, they lose the youthful 'freshness' and usually transform into something softer and more complex.

My personal collection has three levels, the largest includes many 'ready-to-drink' wines so I have a selection from which to choose for any given occasion. The second level is wine that I have tried before and THINK will improve with a bit of aging. The third and smallest level of my collection includes the long term storage- Grand Crus, Dom P, Bordeaux and so on.

In short, don't worry about aging your reds! Buy it, pop it, pour it, enjoy it! As a good friend of mine said,
"Do NOT cellar good wine! You may get hit by a truck tomorrow and never know what it tasted like!"- Peter Mums

Hope this clears things up a little bit. Feel free to message me with any other wine questions you may have!