1/7/08 Aging Wine

Welcome to vine to wine this is your host Linda Moran. I was recently asked to answer the question "When is my wine ready?" On today's program we will address the question. So you bought some wine and you put it away to age for awhile. But how do you know when it's ready? The age old question among many a wine collector is how do they know when their wine is ready to drink? Well the truth is - it really is 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 only around 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 milliliter bottle. If it's 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 find out how the wines from your particular producer are aging. And 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 is tasting absolutely great, then drink it! Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.