Wine Shelf Life

[Kcwhippet]

Wines that are meant for aging are best kept at about 55* F where they can undergo chemical changes at a leisurely pace, but they age faster at higher temps. There's something in chemistry called the Arrehinius equation, which states that the speed of a chemical reaction will double for every 18* F rise in temperature. That means that keeping a wine from 2001 through 2006 at about 73* F (18* F higher than 55* F) will age it about the same as it would at 55* F for 10 years. Whenever wines are said to be able to go a certain number of years, it's assumed they're being stored at 55* F. Also, humidity is an important factor if you're ever thinking about long term storage, and somewhere between 50 and 80% relative humidity is best (65% RH is just about ideal). So, all that's to say that it's possible your wine is really over the hill, but the best way to judge is to open it up and try it. Incidentally, about 95% of all the wines made in the world are really made to be drunk within a few years of vintage.

[This message has been edited by Kcwhippet (edited 04-25-2006).]