Why We Age Wines

When a wine begins life, it is youthful, and bursting with fruit. As it ages, the lively fruit begins to soften and is replaced by a mellow complexity called "bottle bouquet." All during its life, the wine continues slowly, steadily, to exchange fruit for complexity. Because fruitiness is a desirable characteristic of white wines, they are usually aged for less time than reds. As a rule, white wines — other than Chardonnay — require no aging. Chardonnays can be aged for several years.

In young red wines, tannin — that astringent, puckery quality in the mouth — can be strong. Through a red wine's aging, the tannins will soften and slowly disappear. Consequently, red wines usually require improvement by aging. Cabernet Sauvignon generally needs more aging time than other red varieties, while Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel tend to require less. In a restaurant, one of the latter varieties often makes a better choice than Cabernet, because most restaurants don't age Cabernet enough, or if they do, they charge considerably more for it.

When are the ideal times to drink wines? There are no easy answers here. It really depends on your own personal preference. If you like fresh fruitiness in your wine, then opt for wines on the young side. If instead you prefer softness and complexity, drink them on the older side. To get a ball park figure, you can also ask the winemaker or wine representative at the time of purchase when they think the vintage will be at its peak. Although, trial and error is the best way to judge your own tastes. A good test is to buy a case of red wine and drink a bottle from it every year. Discovering when you like it best will give insight into your preferences.