Viking VUWC1441CRSS Wine Booklet - The Fine Art of Aging - Page 9

Q - How long should wine be cellared? A - The evolution of a wine is fascinating and complex. Generalizations regarding the time needed for a particular wine varietal to reach its peak of development are just that - a general guideline. Within a varietal, the vintage and the vintner's individual style of making the wine, along with other factors, will have a substantial influence on the ability of a particular wine to age well. Some of the better wine critics will include in a wine's review a "drinking window", or range of years during which they predict the wine will be at its best. We recommend that you subscribe to one of these experts' newsletters to help you in selecting wines to buy and in determining how long to age them. Typically, dry white wines don't benefit much, if any, from aging (very fine Burgundy, Riesling, and Champagne are prominent exceptions). Nevertheless, it is wise to store them in a cellar to protect them from heat and light damage. Red wines are a different story. A fine, wellbalanced red wine from a good vintage will usually improve with some age. Most very fine Cabernet Sauvignons, Bordeaux, Syrahs, Burgundys, Barolos, and Riojas are made with the expectation that they will be allowed to age in order to reach their full potential. Set forth here is a table of very general guidelines for the aging of several red wines by varietal or region. Again, for an outstanding bottle of wine, it is worth doing a little research. WINE Barolo Bordeaux Burgundy Cabernet Sauvignon Chianti Merlot Pinot Noir (other than Burgundy) Port - Vintage Rioja Syrah Zinfandel Red AGING GUIDELINES 5-15 years 5-15 years (some much longer) 2-10 years 3-10 years 0-5 years 0-5 years 1-6 years 10-30 years 3-10 years 5-10 years 1-5 years