To wine, or Not to wine..

[WineDilemma]

I've been struggling to think of a nice gift for a 25th Anniversary. Finally thought of getting a wine from that vintage (1980).

But, did some research and found that year wasn't particularly good (better in US & Australia). Which I thought might still be OK since I'm in Australia. Went on Wine-Searcher.com and found some wines on sale from that vintage.

However, I'm still anxious to commit. How will I know that the wine's been stored properly? I've found Vintage Charts that score wine of that vintage according to region. How well can I follow these? Will price be a good measure of drinkability?

Any suggestions? I've heard that Penfolds Grange is a safe option? I prefer red wine, but there's been suggestion that port or champagne keep better, so are safer options?

I know I could just have a back-up younger bottle, but it would be a bummer on the night if the bottle turns out off (especially after I've paid good money for it!).

Thanks in advance!! I'm a real newbie to the art of wine. Correct me if anything I've said is wrong.

[hotwine]

Welcome to the board WD. Your questions are the same ones we all ask ourselves when trying to decide whether to buy a premium bottle of wine. There are no easy answers and no guarantees. All any of us can do is do the research and use a reputable retailer whom you know to have good storage and his own sound relationships with reputable vendors.

Grange sounds Jim-dandy, but I can't vouch for it or the vintage since I don't buy the stuff myself.

[sharon001]

You seem to sense the answer, actually - something like port or a sweet wine (sauternes, etc.) will be a safer bet for having kept 25 years. But of course, it's exciting to drink an aged wine that has really matured deliciously, rather than becoming a brownish disappointment.

[WineDilemma]

Thank you for your replies!

Don't really like port or sweet wines, so finally decided on Penfolds Grange Shiraz. Hopefully it won't be a let down..