Wine Buying As A Gift

[Virtboy]

Someone suggested the below idea as a wedding gift and I wasn't sure how to go about buying the appropriate wine. Any suggestions are welcome:

The idea is to buy 3 bottles of wine for the married couple. One that they open on their 1st anniversary, another they open on their 5th anniversary, and another they open on their 10th anniversary. The couple I would be buying for were married in September of 2005.

Is there any guide to buying a wine that would age or be very tasty in 2010 and the same would go for a bottle in 2015? Does anyone have any suggestions on wines that would last 5-10 years?

Thanks for the help.

[Innkeeper]

Hi Virt, and welcome to the Wine Board. This is not as difficult as some other questions we get such as what do I get for kid who was just born for his 21st birthday?

I guess you want wines that were made in 2005. A well constructed Bordeaux which will be released later this year or early next will actually have to go ten years in proper storage. Ask your retailer for any First through Fifth growths that have a good recommendation and you can afford.

You have many, many options for the five year wine. For whites you could get a nice Sancerre from the Loire Valley in France, or a German Riesling in the Spatlese or Auslese category. For reds there are hundreds of options. I would recommend an Australian Shiraz in the $20-$30 range, and there are many choices there.

For this year pick up a Finger Lakes Sparkler made in the Champagne Methode. The Brut from Glenora is a good example, and you should be able to find it there.

Hope this helps.

[winoweenie]

Hi Vert and welcome to the board. Preliminary reports are that the 05 Calif Cabernets are in the very-good to excellent range. They wont be released until 07 but they are a good bet to not only drink well when young but got the required distance. WW