Are my wines too old to gift to a friend?

[anna59]

I want to give my pastor a bottle of wine this Christmas, but I'm afraid that some of my wines are too old and vinegary, and I don't want to gift a bad bottle.

Can anyone tell me about these particular wines?

2001 Beringer White Zinfandel
1996 Robert Mondavi Woodbridge White Zinfandel
1993 Beringer Gamay Beaujolais
1992 Robert Mondavi Chardonnay
1991 Beringer Cabernet Savignon
1989 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Savignon

Thanks! I appreciate anything you can tell me before Christmas Day!

[winoweenie]

Hi anna and welcome to the board. Also welcome to a fellow Tulsan. Hate to be the harbimnger of bad news but you have a whole bevy of BAD wine. If you value your friends, PLEEZE! don't push this horrible juice on them. Not one bottle would even be suitble for salad dressing. Sorry. WW

[Kcwhippet]

I have to agree with winoweenie. There's not a bottle worth gifting, or drinking, in the lot. Please don't give any of them to the pastor. Best to just pour them out, because they're all way too old. They should all have been drunk within two years or so of vintage date.

[This message has been edited by Kcwhippet (edited 12-20-2005).]

[anna59]

Many thanks to both of you! I was afraid of that. Somehow, I wish I could just download or print off a good rule of thumb kind of list for keeping wines.

My hubby will be upset to hear of this. But it's a good thing to know ahead of time! I had really thought that maybe the cabs would still be good up to 7-10yrs, but maybe it depends on the winery. Or am I wrong in thinking this at all? Are there any wines that are okay to keep past 2 years?

Thanks for saving my hide on this one!

[Bucko]

2001 Beringer White Zinfandel
1996 Robert Mondavi Woodbridge White Zinfandel
1993 Beringer Gamay Beaujolais
1992 Robert Mondavi Chardonnay
1991 Beringer Cabernet Savignon
1989 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Savignon

That was WW's breakfast this morning -- over cornflakes to be respectable of course. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

[wdonovan]

"Are there any wines that are okay to keep past 2 years?"

Long answer is yes, and there are specific things to look for (many are related to particular vinyards) but the surefire common denominator that jumps out at me here is the short answer "not in this price range".

[winoweenie]

After a 2nd look at your list you mite open the 91 Beringer and carefully give it a try. Was a very strong vintage from a reliable producer. WW

[robr]

Very expensive wine, esp. red wines, like cabernet sauvignon, are actually designed to last longer, some of them more than 15- 20 years. Inexpensive wines, regardless of the color, are nearly all designed to be consumed within a year or two.

That's the rule of thumb.