Which wine's better

[winecheese]

I'm just getting into wine and I'm enjoying it so far. One of my wine expert friends has told me that white wines are better to drink "fresh" while reds are better to age several years. I bought a Merlot from 2000 and she said I should wait several years before I open it. Is this true? If so, which year wine for white and red would you recommend buying? I'm sure it depends on each wine but isn't there a general statement?

I appreciate all/any advice. Thanks.

[barnesy]

Well,

Both whites and reds can age or be drunk young. There are some white desert wines from Bordeaux that can age a hundred years, and there are reds that wouldn't be drinkable two years after it was put together. A lot also depends upon the storage the wines get. If you don't store them properly, no wine will age properly or for a long period of time. The best thing is to perhaps buy a basic, beginners book about wines. They will tell such things as how to age your wines and which wines are good for aging and which are good for immediate comsumption. Wine for Dummies is a good one to start with. Its easy to read, inexpensive and will tell you a lot about all aspects of wine, including aging. I am sure the other ladies and gents on this page will tell you more. Plus, stick around the page. Its fun and you will learn a lot from some smart people.

Barnesy

[Thomas]

Barnsey is correct. There simply are no generalizations that apply to aging specific wines. Even when certain wines are intended to be aged in the bottle, no one can say for sure what will happen to them over time.

Read up on the subject and then experiment. It is a lifetime activity--but a great one.

[winecheese]

Thanks both for kind advice! Wine for Dummies! Sounds like a perfect book for me!

[winoweenie]

Hi there WineCheese and welcome to the board. Notice you`re from San D. Don`t know where you live but you have IMHO one of the top-flite wine shops in the west . Vintage Wines.Fone 619-549-2112. John is the owner and has a VERY knowledgeable staff plus a marvy restaurant upstairs Plus lots of valuable tastings alla` time charlie.If you`re within 50 miles of the jernt, drop in. You`ll learn sumppin`. winoweenie

[thewoodman]

But in response to the original question, if this is a 2000 merlot (even from the southern hemisphere) it was aged on the boat, and is probably not ageworty. Open it and drink it. As an aside, I have not really seen any 2000 vintage wines released other than nouveaus.