Wine and Aging

by Frank Mangio
One of the most consistent questions I am asked is about wine and aging, including how long does the bottle have before the wine turns ugly once it’s opened; and what wines should be bottle aged and for how long.

The first question is not so difficult to answer. In most cases, once a bottle of wine is opened it is subject to bacteria and oxygen which begin to affect the flavor and deteriorate the character of the wine. There are pumps and other injections of gaseous elements that help but by 72 hours, a kind of vinegar flavor sets in and it’s all over.

The second part of the aging process is the more important and more elusive: How long should a bottle sit before it passes from optimum taste to spoiled?

Most wines will taste just fine at the date of release, or consumed a year or so after purchase. White wines, generally speaking, are not going to be enhanced by storage, so enjoy! Same is true for thinly tasting reds like Pinot Noir, Beaujolais and Rose type wines. What’s left are all those lovely red wines of sturdy body, with a high acidic structure and strong tannic characteristics that need age to smooth them out and create an enhanced flavor and a softened texture. The result is a more pleasurable drink.

Red wines that need time should be “laid down” on their sides preferably in a 55 degree temperature controlled environment like a wine cooler or “cellar.” It could be a room with shelving configured for wine bottles and not be subject to direct sunlight. As to how long, that’s where lots of debate swirls.

Remember, some wines have already barrel aged so you need to factor that in when storing. I advise a not-to-exceed time frame of ten years. So, if you purchase say an Italian Brunello that has already been aged 5 years in barrel and bottle before release, then another 5 years in your storage facility, drink up! After all, that is what wine is made for.