Ageing wine

[TLStrong]

How do you know when ageing wine, when it has hit it's peak?

[Bucko]

You don't -- it is a best guess approach based on track records, vintages and storage conditions. That is why I tend to buy wine by the case. I open a bottle and if it is not ready, I make a mental note to check another bottle in two or three years (or however it impresses me at the time). There are all kinds of rules of thumb, but they are not accurate.

[wondersofwine]

Welcome to the board. The short answer is you don't (know that is). Experience with the variety of grape and producer helps. For example, Winoweenie samples his Cabernet Sauvignon bottles now and then but starts drinking them up with ten years or more after the harvest (drinking 1996 wines now). Many vintage charts (you can do a Google search for wine vintage charts) suggest hold, drink now or hold, past prime but that is a generality for say all top end red Burgundies from 1990, and specific ones will last longer than the recommendation and others will go downhill sooner. Likewise, some people like the mature wine to show secondary and tertiary characteristics (maybe more leather, less fruit, etc.) while others like the younger, fruitier style. Ask an experienced wine retailer or the winemaker, etc. if you want to know about a particular wine that you want to have in its prime. Some may peak for a 5-10 year period, giving you some leeway.
Bucko answered whilst I was typing away.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 10-20-2006).]

[Innkeeper]

Perhaps a better question is: when do you have to age your wines? Somewhere upwards of 95% of the wines made in the world are approachable (drinkable) upon release. The rest go by the guidelines suggested above. Since you posted this on the Zinfandel thread, perhaps that is the kind of wine you are talking about. Almost all Zinfandel is ready to drink between two and five years of vintage.

[hotwine]

Notice Bucko's comment about storage conditions: If you don't have perfect storage, all the guidance in the world is worthless.