How to tell if an unknown wine will age well?

[dananne]

IMHO, Habersham wines are best consumed young. I don't think there is enough "stuffing" for them to last very long. Also, I don't think their Merlot has the structure or balance needed to age, even though it may be tasty short-term due to its low-tannin, juicy, fruitiness.

A better bet for a local wine to age a bit is Tiger Mountain Vineyards -- they make several wines, including a Tannat and a Mourvedre, both of which I've let sit a bit. Also, their Norton ages nicely, too. You can visit the winery to pick those up, though they also have them at several Atlanta shops, too.

All that having been said, sometimes you can be surprised. I recently had a 9 yr old Malbec from a Virginia winery that was very nice. So, the only way to find out is to tuck one away (assuming you have good storage) and try it in a few years!

I'd also encourage you to visit the Georgia Pavillion at Wine South next month. It was very fun in the past, with good wines and the opportunity to talk with the winemakers, who could answer questions such as this. [img]http://wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]