question for wine fans/experts

[fishwax]

How does one know whether a particular bottle of wine will improve with age? I came back from vacation with about 10 bottles and have been toying with the idea of investing in a wine refrigerator.

But I know that not all wines improve with age. None of the bottles I have are particularly expensive, and I'm not sure whether they will be better in a couple of years or simply dulled by time.

Any advice?

[crispini]

1. It depends on the grape, I know that much.

Some types of wines are designed to age, some are not. What kinds of wine do you have?

That said, why not get the wine cooler anyway, regardless, and THEN get the wine to go in it. ;)

[fishwax]

5. i've been thinking along those lines as well

That said, why not get the wine cooler anyway, regardless, and THEN get the wine to go in it.

:D

The wines I wound up with were mostly white (a couple of reds, perhaps, but generally we prefer white), so it sounds like they might not be the best candidates for aging. But I think I still might consider the cooler :)

[Kali]

2. Very generally, reds age better. Drink whites "fresh".

Althought there are some reds that are better young as well. Where did you go? I want to get a wine refridge, too - ave been seeing them fairly reasonably priced lately but it is an expense not justified yet.

[fishwax]

7. they were more reasonably priced than I expected

I was thinking of getting just a wine rack, but then I saw that some wine coolers could be had for not a whole lot more.

Where did you go?

We went to Italy :) Such great wine, even the really inexpensive stuff. We brought back as much as I could carry :rofl: and were thinking of having about a bottle per year as an anniversary reminder until they were gone, but (break my heart) we might have to drink them at a slightly faster rate ;)

[Kali]

11. heh

My bag was pretty heavy when I came back from Germany/France/Turkey.

They send the garbage over here as "import" and drink the good stuff.

[Aiptasia]

3. Investment wines

The majority of investment quality wines are derived from single variety (varitals) red grapes. If any of your wines are a mertage (mixed wine), they're probably perfectly drinkable wines but won't hold a lot of value with purists as they mature. White wines and some reds (Pinot) should be drunk young.

Look for Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, Malbecs, Nebbiolo, Petite Syrah, Syrah, Tempranillo, Touriga and true Zinfandels.

A subscription to wine spectator is a great place to start exploring wines. The online wine spectator website also carries their wine ratings for tens of thousands of wines of all types, and they offer suggestions on collector wines in all price ranges from $10 to $10,000.

I know that Costco carries small wine cabinets, and there are several suppliers online if you can't find a local wine shop that has them. I have an 80 bottle Avanti wine cabinet and it's quite nice. Dual zone temperature control, parental lock, very silent.

The thing about wines is, they're all so different. Every day the wines change a little bit in complexity or character, and what one person thinks is gold, another person thinks is swill. I'd suggest going to a few wine tastings if you can, or if you're lucky enough to live on the west coast, visit a few places in California such as Napa, Solvang and/or Temecula. Oregon's Williamette valley is another spot.

[fishwax]

8. interesting info, thanks

I actually didn't have investment in mind, just personal enjoyment. These bottles are souvenirs of our trip to Italy, and we were thinking of drinking about one a year until the vacation was completely gone, but if a couple of years will only flatten the flavor I could probably be convinced to be a little less patient ;)

Connoussier-wise, i'm generally more into beer than wine, but the wine on our trip to italy was just fantastic. Of course, some of the best wine I had the whole time I was there was poured through a straw straight from the vat into a plastic water bottle and cost about two bucks a litre. Good times :D

[Squatch]

4. Check out E-Robert Parker

He gives good recommendations on when to lay wine down for a while and when/how to drink.

[fishwax]

9. thanks for the tip :) n/t

[NV Whino]

6. Generally speaking...

1. drink whites with a year, 2 years max (lighter reds fall into this category also)
2. most reds these days are made to be enjoyed within 2 to 5 years... unless
3. you have high-end, very expensive reds, which can last 20 years or more.

Also, don't be afraid of "blends." Most fine winemakers blend a little merlot, petite verdot, cabernet franc or other compatible reds with cabernet sauvignon to make their distinctive wine.

So, drink it now while you do a little research is my advice. We've got a new crop coming every year. By the way 2005 was a huge harvest (in the Napa Valley). Look for some great bargains when the 2005s are released (about 2 to 3 years from now.)

[fishwax]

10. cool, thanks

:) Mine are mostly white, as that's what we like best, but we grabbed a couple of reds for the sake of variety as well :)

I'll keep my eye out for the 2005s ... sounds like you've a fun job :toast: