One of the unique aspects of wine as a consumer product is that it only gets better with age, yet over 95% of all wine is drunk within 24 hours of purchase. One of the main reasons for this is that people look for wine to match with a certain occasions or food. However without an unlimited budget, ideally many great wines would be bought 10-15 years before consumption, by the case, in order to enjoy them when old, but also throughout their lifetime. Wine is like a ‘living organism’ and part of the joy is to follow its development, while keeping in mind that no two bottles of wine are the same, even at the same point in time. This is all what makes wine enjoyment so tricky yet so fascinating.
When a wine is young
… It is fruity and straight forward
What happens to the wine?
When a wine ages it develops more complex aromas, the tannins become softer and acidity becomes less noticeable and the oak taste integrates into the fruity taste of the wine.
Old wines
Wines age differently and also depending on the vintage, however by looking at the price of a young wine one can get a general picture of the aging potential. In general wines over £7-8 would be the aging wines, while those less expensive would meant to be drunk young.
Different preferences between the English and French
When to drink a wine is in the end not only a question of budget, but also taste preference. In France many people drink powerfully, fruity wines when young. Yet on this side of the channel the tendency has been to appreciate more the older, riper, softer wines. No one can argue that old fine wines are the best, however for the ordinary consumer, there is a whole world out of ‘ordinary’ French wines from dynamic, passionate producers, with amazing flavours to spice up any day! Unfortunately most of these never make it across the channel.
