How Well Do Wines Hold Up with Time?

Wine Enthusiast Magazine, February 2018

Last time we looked at the factors that make a wine more capable of bottle aging. And, somewhat surprisingly, there are very few wines that actually hold up well in the bottle, even with proper storage.  So then, what wines do hold up?

The results reported in Wine Enthusiast's 2018 Vintage chart (February 2018) are very revealing. As you might expect, wines from the Bordeaux region of France can hold up very well. And, most of the wines from Bordeaux are still currently at their peak dating back to 1998.  Twenty years!  But beyond that, the vintage guide suggests that wines before 1998 are likely in decline and may be undrinkable.

Then there are the California wines.  Again, as you might expect, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon's are holding up well back to 1994. But, the real surprises come with other wines that just aren't as age-able.  For instance, the Napa and Sonoma Zinfandel's are only showing good back to 2007. Russian River Pinot Noir is showing good back to 2007, while a Syrah from the Central Coast of California is only holding up back to 2010.

So, the key point to remember is that only select wines are really age-worth while most others have a relatively short time that they remain drinkable. This is a lesson that a lot of us learn the hard way. We hold on to really nice wines and wait and wait for that special occasion to open them.  But, as I recently learned, I held some too long. And I'll share that story next time. Until then, Cheers!

The Factors that Make a Wine More Capable of Bottle Aging

We've now worked our way through how a wine gets its flavor - from the grape, the skins, seeds and stems, fermentation, barrel aging and last time we touched on bottle aging. There we learned that most wines are not meant for long-term bottle aging. But, what does make a bottle of wine age worthy?

It may seem obvious, but the color and the type of grape are very important. Red wines are best at bottle aging because of their natural tannin from the grape skin, seeds and stem as well as from barrel aging. This is most common in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.  White wines generally don't age well and should be consumed young.

The vintage, or the year the grapes were grown, can significantly affect a wine's ability to age well. The balance of tannin and acid in a particular year may lend the resulting wine to better aging prospects.

Where the wine is from can also affect its ability to age. There are key regions, such as Bordeaux France and Napa California that produce very age-worthy grapes.

And finally, storage conditions are also key. Wines must be stored in cool conditions (~58 degrees F) and away from light.  Even a great wine will quickly be damaged by heat and light.

Next time, we'll take a look at specific regions and wines for their age worthiness. You may be surprised by some of the guidelines. Until then, Cheers!

Barbera: A Wine That Doesn't Get the Respect it Deserves

Several years ago, while visiting northern California, I was served a glass of red wine from Amador County that made me do a double-take.  When I asked what is was, I was told but the varietal didn't mean anything to me. I ended up having another glass and again asking about it, but it just wasn't a varietal that I'd heard of before that point in time.  Finally, I asked one more time what I was being served and was told it was a Barbera. I had never heard of it, but I knew I really liked it.

Excited by learning about this varietal, I returned home from my trip and, at my first opportunity, headed out to a nicer wine seller in search of a Barbera. I looked up and down the aisles but wasn't able to find the Barbera.  There was a very knowable wine guy at the store, but he was busy helping another customer with a wine selection and talking extensively to the customer about the wines they were interested in purchasing. This was definitely the guy I wanted to talk to, knowing he'd help me find a great Barbera. After waiting for quite some time, the wine guy became available and it was my turn to have a conversation with him. I walked right up and asked "Do have any Barbera wine that you'd recommend?"  After a bit of an awkward pause, he uttered one word; "No."  I was somewhat put on my heals but asked if he sold any Barbera wine. Again, the one-word answer was "No."  I thanked him politely and walked away. Had I said something wrong?

Well, it turns out that Barbera has been widely planted in California for a long time, but in the past, it was solely used as a blending component in mass-produced jug wines. Hence, it hasn't had a very good reputation as a varietal and still doesn't seem to get the respect it deserves. 

But, all that changed with the Barbera planting in the Amador and El Dorado Counties in the Sierra Foothills of California. Today, they continue to produce nice Barbera varietal wines.  They are not widely distributed, so they are still hard to find.

So, if you haven't ever heard of, or tried, a Barbera varietal, keep your eyes out for one. And, if you are so lucky as to come across one from the Sierra Foothills of California or from anywhere, give it a try. You're likely to be surprised by this wonderful medium to full-bodied wine with great dark fruit flavors of blackberry, black cherry, and plum, And, when aged in oak, it also develops even richer full-bodied fruit flavors with a hint of chocolate.

There is another wine region of the world that produces nice Barbera. And, we'll explore that region next time. Until then, Cheers!

Tips on Giving Wine as a Gift

It's that time of the year! Lots of gift giving. A common dilemma is associated with choosing a bottle of wine to give as a gift. I'll admit, it's a tough one. You don't want to get it wrong. And, most wines don't come with a gift receipt.

The first and probably most important factor in giving wine as a gift is knowing your recipient. Is the person a casual acquaintance, a long-time friend, a family member, your boss or a wine connoisseur? That makes a huge difference.

With a casual acquaintance, it's easiest.  It's especially easy if this acquaintance is a party animal. They are probably just going to drink the wine without giving it a thought.  You won't go wrong by going into most any store or wine shop and picking up an inexpensive popular wine; red or white. Those typically sell for around $10 and are located midway up the shelves at the store.

But with the long-time friend, close family member or a boss, you need to choose a nicer wine. The worst thing you can do is to underestimate their taste in wine. Unfortunately, it’s easy to offend someone by giving them a very basic or inexpensive wine. It's really not that hard to impress these people.  Just keep your eyes toward the upper shelves and you are sure to find something that will work. And, by saying 'keep your eyes toward the upper shelves" you'll find that that's where the stores typically keep the nicer wines.  The cheap stuff is down around your ankles. Nicer bottle of wines can easily be found in the $20 - $40 range. Oh sure, you can spend a heck of a lot more, but this range is usually a good bet. I'd recommend going with a red wine. They just come across as being safer gifts.

Finally, there's the fine wine connoisseur. You really need to know their wine preferences to buy them wine. Otherwise, my advice is to buy them something other than wine. They're just hard to please.

In any case, if you are really stressing over the purchase of a bottle of wine, ask someone in the store.  And, if you can't find a knowledgeable salesperson, ask someone else who's shopping in the wine section for a recommendation. Really. You'd be surprised by the amount of people who know a thing or two about wine who are shopping on the wine aisle.

Here's to wishing you a happy, stress-free wine giving experience during the holidays! Cheers!

How to Deal with the Rituals of Ordering a Bottle of Wine

Have you ever just ordered glasses of wine at a restaurant to avoid having to deal with the whole process involved in buying a bottle? It can seem a bit intimidating at first. Dealing with your server for a glass of wine seems to be a lot more expedient.  But ordering a bottle of wine isn't hard if you become comfortable with rituals involved.

First, ordering a bottle can be a great value. A standard 750 ml bottle of wine will yield approximately five to six glasses of wine. This is usually less expensive than ordering five or six individual glasses of wine at your table.  So take a deep breath, order a bottle and you'll quickly learn to deal with the rituals.

Once you've chosen your bottle of wine your server should bring the unopened bottle to your table and present you with the bottle, showing you the label.  This is simply done to ensure they have brought the correct bottle that you ordered. You simply need to take a quick look at the label and then let your server know "That's correct" or "That looks good!"

Next, your server will take out a corkscrew, remove the foil capsule covering the cork, and extract the cork.  Your server will typically place the cork in front of you.  You don't need to smell the cork. But you should do a quick inspection of it. Look to see if there is any evidence of the wine having leaked up any of the sides. This should be obvious for either a white or red wine. A small amount of seepage up the side of the cork is normal in a bottle of wine that has spent some time on its side.  You just don't want to see the entire cork soaked or soggy. And don't be afraid to ask your server about any thing that looks unusual.

Next, your server will pour a small taste for the person who ordered the wine. This is not meant to be your opportunity to sample a bunch of wines before you find the right one. The small taste is simply meant to allow you to confirm that the bottle that you order has not gone bad. And, again, you'll immediately know. If you smell strong obnoxious odors of wet cardboard or the smell of a wet dog, the wine has gone bad. But, assuming the wine is fine, simply let your server know that it's fine.  They will then pour the wine for others at the table and return to pour your glass. Oh, and remember, a properly poured glass of wine is about one-third full, not to the rim.

The bottle will then be left on the table. If you are drinking a bottle of sparkling wine, the server may provide an ice bucket or you may request one. A good server will keep watch on your table and ensure that everyone's glass remains full and offer to bring another bottle, if necessary. But feel free to pick up the bottle and pour more for those at the table and yourself.

And that's it.  It's really quite simple. A wine server should be there to aid you in the process, not make it difficult or intimidating.  Here's to your next bottle. Cheers!