I'm a wine idiot

[monanna]

I certainly hope some of you wine experts can help me and my wife. We have recently had a grandmother pass away...all her wine and liquor was passed down to me and my wife. About 50 bottles in all. The only problem is we drink wine only occasionnally. We don't know all about wine. The wines range from Chardonney to Rose Wines from Portugal. They date from 1971 to 1996. My first question is how do I know if they have gone bad without opening them? Secondly, does anybody buy wines that are old?

[Drew]

Welcome Monanna. There's no way to tell if a wine is bad other than opening and tasting. That said, you could do some detective work about your wines to determine their possible condition. In a nut shell quality wines produced from average to great vintages made by good producers that are stored properly, 50 to 65 degrees F, should age well and provide a nice drinking experience 5 to 10 years from the vintage date. If any of these factors is missing, that timetable becomes smaller. If your Grandmother was known to collect high quality wines, you might have a few gems in the 50. If she stashed daily drinkers, I suspect many of the older ones, particularly the whites, may be vinegar by now. Fine Portuguese ports are another matter and can age for decades. Why not compile a list and take it to a reputable wine merchant in your area for a look over?

Drew

[NewbieTash]

You should try and learn about you newfound wines. Your not a wine idiot....your just maltaught! Enjoy your new wines!