09/12/05 Monday question - When is my wine ready?

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today we are answering questions from the email. Recently a listener wrote to ask "I bought some wine and put it away to age for awhile. But how will I know when it's ready?" So today I'll give you a few basics to help you know when your wine is "ready". The question of how to know when is the best time to drink wine that you have stored for the future is really just an educated guess. First of all what is the temperature of the place where the wine is stored? If it's 65-70 degrees it will definitely age faster than a location that is 50 degrees. The size of the bottle will also make a big difference. If it's a half bottle it will mature faster than a regular 750 mil. Bottle. If it is a magnum it will age even more slowly. Today most Bordeaux style wines have increased the amount of softer grapes such as Merlot in the blend and they age faster, usually reaching their best drinking in about eight years. Most Pinot Noir made today seems to be best in about six years, and some will peak at only four years. So a great deal of the optimum aging time will depend upon what the blend is or what kind of grapes the wine is made from. Do some reading and see what the wine critics say about the producer that you have collected and how their wines have aged in the past. You can always ask your favorite wine merchant what their experience has been with those wines. Taste a bottle every few months or years and when you think it's tasting absolutely great, then drink it! And thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.