Storage

[~newwino~]

Hey, I'm new to wines and I was wondering how long you can store various wines for? I've heard that you can only store certain ones for so long and others can be stored for decades? I'm just confused so help would be great!

[Innkeeper]

Hi Newwino, and welcome to the Wine Board. Your question should be, when can I drink a wine, vice how long can I hold it. There is no merit in holding a wine that is ready to drink, for in most cases it can only go downhill. Well above 90% of all wine you find for sale is ready to drink. This includes just about anything you find in a super market if those in your state can carry them. Another indicator is price. Almost all (but definitely not ALL) wine that sells for under $20 is ready to drink.

If you plan to store some wine because you are buying it by the case, most red wine will hold for four or five years, and most white wine will hold for two or three. There are plenty of exceptions to all these guidelines, but none that somebody just getting into wine needs to worry about.

There is great advice available all over this board, and you would be well advised to develop a relationship with a retailer you can trust for advice on each bottle or case you buy.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 01-27-2003).]

[sgutte]

Tokaji, a Hungarian desert wine, is one of those exceptions that is recommended to wait until it is 15 years old at least and can age for decades.