Ever Wonder? What Makes a Wine Age-Worthy?

It is commonly known that red wines age best. But why, you may ask, is that? Why can red wine be aged longer than whites?  After all, they are both made from the juice of grapes!

The answer has a lot to do with tannins and acidity, but residual sugar and alcohol levels can also play a role.

Tannins are chemical compounds that act as natural preservatives in wine. They come from the skins, seeds and stems of grapes. And, red wines spend considerable time in contact with their skins, seeds and stems during the maceration process as opposed to white wines where the juice is immediately removed from the skins, seeds and stems.

The maceration process for red wines involves steeping the grape skins and solids in the grape’s juice (must) during fermentation, when the developing alcohol acts as a solvent to extract color, tannins and aroma from the skins. Red wines typically will have maceration times ranging from 7 to 40 days. Tannins in wine also come from the wood barrels where the wines are aged. 

The natural acid levels and residual sugar that remains in wine after fermentation can act to preserve the wine. And, wines that are higher in alcohol generally are more likely to age well. Especially fortified wines (e.g., Port, Sherry, Brandy).

But, the bottom line on a wine being age-worthy is that it needs to be “well balanced” to begin. That is, having a balance between tannin, acid, alcohol and residual sugar. If any of these are ‘off’ the wine probably doesn’t stand a chance of improving with age.

But that leads to the question “When I’m staring at bottles of wine on the store shelf, how do I know if a wine is well balanced?” We’ll get to that next time. Cheers!

Ever Wonder? Do All Wines Get Better with Age?

It’s a common belief with wines - an older bottle is better than a younger bottle. But, is that always so?

If you’ve read some of my past blogs, you’d know that one of my favorite lines is “One of the first things to understand about aging wines is that a wine cellar isn’t a wine hospital. If a wine is flawed or just not very good, it doesn’t magically become better with age…” [from “Ask Dr. Vinny” Wine Spectator online (Sept. 21, 2014].

Today, most wines, both reds and whites, are meant to be enjoyed right away. When wines are bottled, they’re ready for consumption. Aging doesn't necessarily make them better.

This point is always driven home for me when Wine Enthusiast puts out its annual Vintage Chart. It provides guidance on when wines are “At their Peak” and whether to “Drink” or “Hold” a wine based on the wine region and the vintage date. Here are some generalized notes from the 2021 chart regarding California wines:

• Zinfandel — The 2012/2014 are at peak; The 1989 wines may be past their peak; the 1987s are in decline and may be undrinkable

• Pinot Noir — The 2012 are at peak; The 1989/1990 wines may be past their peak; 1986s are in decline and may be undrinkable

• Napa Cabernet Sauvignon — The 2012/2014 are at peak maturity; those back to 2001 are shown as ‘Can drink, may be past peak’

A good rule of thumb is that most wines will begin to fade to the down side in as few as five years and after 10 years they'll generally have lost most of their character, if not out-right spoiled. And, remember, this assumes that the wines are aged properly in a cool, dark, humidity-controlled location.

So, older wines can be better, but only up to a point. So, you don't need to age wines to be able to drink great wines.

Next time we'll look at what makes a wine age-worthy.

The Various Ways that Wines Can Go Bad

Last time we looked at how a wine can turn brown and take on a nutty sherry-like flavor. That’s oxidation which is just one of several ways in which a wine can go bad.

There are several other common wine flaws. So, let’s take a quick look at each.

TCA — This is a powerful chemical that even in tiny amounts can cause musty aromas and flavors in wines. TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole) most frequently comes from natural corks and gets into wine in the bottle. It can also come from barrels, pallets, and cardboard boxes. Although TCA taint will not harm you, it can ruin a wine. When TCA levels get high in a wine bottle it can make the wine smell moldy or musty, like cardboard, damp cement or wet newspapers.

Sulfur — Sulfur has the unmistakable scent of rotten eggs. Sulfur (not to be confused with sulfites) is commonly used in winemaking, in small amounts. But, again, when the levels become higher through over use it causes hydrogen sulfide to form resulting in stinky wine.

Vinegar Taint — It’s a common phrase used when wine goes bad — “It’s turned to vinegar.” Well, what actually happens is that Acetic acid builds up in wine when there’s too much exposure to oxygen during winemaking and is usually caused by acetobacter which is indeed used in the vinegar-making process. You’ll immediately notice the sharp vinegar smell that’s also been described as being like nail polish remover.

Brett — This is another common fault that’s attributed to yeast spoilage. “Brett” is short for Brettanomyces. And, again, your nose will immediately let you know of this spoilage that’s been described as smelling like a barnyard, a stable, a cow pie or a sweaty horse blanket. For those city folks who haven’t had the barnyard experience, Brett has also been described as oddly metallic or like the aroma of a Band-Aid.

The above wine faults are attributable to problems that are introduced at the winery. The next two are handling faults that happen anywhere between the winery and your wine glass.

Heat Damage — A sealed bottle of wine can be damaged or destroyed by getting too hot. In wine country, wineries warn you not to leave your purchases in the car and welcome you bringing wine that you’ve purchased elsewhere into their tasting room to keep it cool. But, heat damage can occur during shipping, on a store’s shelf, during a delivery that sits on your hot front porch, or simply after you purchase a bottle. Never leave bottles of wine out at room temperature for a prolonged period. A home refrigerator (typically in the low 30s F is too cold but better than nothing. In round numbers, white wines should be stored in the 40 to 50 degrees F range while reds should be stored in the 50 to 60 F range.

Light Damage — This is another problem that can just as easily happen in the store as in your home. When wine is exposed to prolong sun light, or simply just near a window, it can rapidly go bad. Here again you can get strong odors (wet wool) that will immediately let you know the wine has gone bad.

So, let your eyes and nose help you detect wine faults. And, ensure you properly handle and store your wine bottles once they are in your possession. Cheers!

How Much is Your Old Bottle of Wine Worth?

I see this question come up periodically. Someone has an old bottle of wine or discovers that their parents stashed away a bottle that is now quite old. And the first question a lot of people have is “What is this old bottle of wine worth?”

Well, there’s likely just one answer — it’s worthless to anyone else except you. And to you, it might be priceless.

The general consensus is that an individual bottle of old wine is usually not sell-able. Most wine collectors will only purchase wines from other known collectors that have been kept as part of a larger collection or from establishments they can trust to have properly stored the bottle over the years (i.e., keeping it cool and away from light).

So, the question you really should be asking is “Is this old bottle of wine still good?” If it’s been in a kitchen cabinet, attic or closet, it’s likely not drinkable. If it has been properly cellared, the bottle of wine at least has a chance of being drinkable. But not all wines cellar well. It’s usually the full-bodied red wines with lots of tannin that hold up best over time.

So, you’ll likely be faced with a tough decision - do you continue to hold the old bottle, keep it as a show piece in your own collection, or do you open it? It’s entirely up to you. But I say, open the bottle and give it a try! Cheers!

Ever Wonder Why Wines Turn Brown?

Have you ever opened a bottle of red wine that had turned brown? Or, seen a bottle of white wine that’s turned brown? Well, this is a real issue with wines - as they age.

As wines age, they can become oxidized especially if the cork is not entirely sealed in the neck of the bottle. When the pigmentation in wine gets exposed to oxygen, it turns brown.

White wines can get darker and turn a golden brown.

Reds wines can turn slightly orange, brown or brick color as they age. The red wine on the left is young and the one on the right is showing some signs of aging and oxidation.

As a wine ages, you’ll often also see color variations along the edges of the glass as you look down into a slight tipped glass. You may see the red and purple hues of the wine in the middle of the glass but you’ll also see the secondary colors of orange, brown or brick along the edge.

This is a phenomenon that’s most easily seen with Pinot Noir. As Pinot Noir ages you’ll see more brick-like color around the edges.

So, always look at your wine. You can learn a lot about its age. Cheers!