Corkscrew - Time is on your side
The when’s, why’s and how’s of aging wine
Remember the Paul Masson wine commercial from the ’70s where the guy said, “We will sell no wine before its time”? I wasn’t much of a wine connoisseur in grade school, so I had no idea what that slogan meant. But now I know (it only took me 20 years to figure it out), and I’m here to share that knowledge with you: It’s about aging wine.
You see, some people think you can’t just buy a bottle of wine and drink it as soon as you get home. They believe you should age it for years on end, until it’s “ready” to drink. In the ’70s commercial, the Paul Masson guy was trying to assure jug-wine buyers that immediate guzzling was acceptable.
In keeping with this spirit, most producers today age their wines in the bottle for months or even years before selling them, so they’re ready to drink as soon as they hit the shelves. Which is good, as 95 percent of wine purchased in the United States is drunk within 24 hours.
Of course, certain wines get better with age. But how can you tell which ones they are? How do you know when they’re ready to drink? Why would you even bother? The answers to these questions are often vague and confusing, even for super-duper wine geeks, so bear with me.
The mysteries of aging
All wine changes over time, due to the co-mingling of components like acid, tannin, fruit and oxygen. Sometimes the wine gets better, sometimes worse. For red wines, you’re looking to soften tannins (the compound found in grape seeds and stems that makes your mouth feel dry), tone down fruit and add complexity. Over time, red wines also will lose color and change from dark purple to brick red.
When whites age, they gain more richness, complexity and caramel flavors. Unlike reds, white wines gain color with age, going from pale straw to rich, golden yellow. Some people enjoy the mature flavors that aging brings to wine, while others prefer to drink it young, fresh and fruity. To age or not to age often hinges on personal taste.
Rules of thumb
Though it’s sometimes hard to predict whether — or for how long — a wine will age, the following guidelines will help steer you in the right direction.
Start with a good quality vintage wine with balanced tannin, acid, fruit and body. Don’t expect aging to turn a crappy wine into a good one. Wines like Bordeaux and Cabernet Sauvignon tend to age well because the tannins in the wine help slow oxidation (excessive exposure to oxygen). Red wines have more tannin than whites.
Do not age Beaujolais Nouveau, Sauvignon Blanc, rose and wines under $10.
Age up to five years: Chianti, Chardonnay, “new world” Pinot Noir, basic Alsace whites.
Age five-10 years: better quality Bordeaux (red and white), Burgundy (red and white), Rhone wines, Alsace whites, Merlot.
Age 10 years or more: top Bordeaux, Rhone and Burgundy, late harvest/dessert wines (Sauternes), top-quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon.
Your wine won’t improve — and may even go bad — if you don’t store it correctly. Keep the wine somewhere dark and cool (55 degrees if possible), where there is a little bit of humidity and little fluctuation in temperature.
Wines for aging
There’s only one way to find out if good things come to those who wait. Buy a few bottles of primo vino, stash them away for a few years and check the results. According to Brad Lewis, Florida ABC Fine Wine and Spirits’ director of fine wines, these reasonably priced reds are built to last: Stonegate Cabernet Sauvignon ($25), Ravenswood Lodi Zinfandel ($14), Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets ($14), Antinori Chianti Classico Pepoli ($22) and D’Arnberg the Footbolt Shiraz ($16).
Tina Caputo is a San Francisco-based wino who supports her nasty habit by writing for wine publications. Comments? E-mail corkscrew@creativeloafing.com, write Corkscrew, 1310 E. Ninth Ave., Tampa, FL 33605, or call 1-800-341-LOAF.??