Ideal time to drink a wine

[winecollector]

There are several books out there that provide vintage charts that will give you a general idea when to open a quality bottle of wine. One that I regularly use is "Oz Clark's Guide to Wine," which he updates every couple of years. He also specifically lists several hundred wines by name, and gives you his opinion on what are the best years for that specific wine, as well as when they are mature enough to open. If you are serious about wine collecting, it is a worthwhile investment for about $12-$15.

Don't just limit yourself to one book though. Someone else's taste may not agree with yours. Its always better to have additional references available, including magazines such as "The Wine Spectator." Check around too at a couple of your local bookstores and see what other books may be available. Some other books will provide you with valuable information on wines from lesser sought after countries such as Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Austria, etc.

If it turns out that you cannot find information on a specific wine that you purchased, you could always ask the merchant that you bought it from for their recommendation on when to open it, if you think they are knowledgeable enough. Also, check and see if there is more availabe to purchase before you open it. If all else fails, and there is more available, just open it and see for yourself whether it's an ageworthy wine, or just an everyday drinker. That way, you can decide if it's worth buying more of. I personally make it a habit to buy at least 3 bottles of a quality wine that I come across- one to drink now, and at least two to cellar. You may find a gem that you'll want to buy a couple of cases of!