Showing posts with label aging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aging. Show all posts

Thursday, March 19, 2015

When to drink wine?

Those who know me might think the answer to this is "any day that ends in Y", which is also true.

:)

But for this purpose, I'm referring to when to open a bottle of wine you've been saving. First, there is no absolute answer to that one. You're just going to have to figure out your own palate. For example, I know that I tend to prefer California Cabernet Sauvignons at least 5 years from the vintage date - preferrably 7, and some 10+, depending on the year and quality. But generally, I keep them until they are at least 5 yrs, so right now I'm hard pressed to drink a 2010 or younger. Once again, this is me and my preference. I know people who love Cabernets right after they are released and others that think 5 years is too young. It's all in what you like.
But let's pretend you don't have a *couple* years drinking aged wine under your belt and you aren't exactly sure what you like. Where do you start? Here's a couple great sources:

http://www.erobertparker.com/newsearch/vintagechart1.aspx

https://www.winemag.com/PDFs/Vintage_Chart_2015_V3.pdf

It might seem a bit intimidating at first, but it's worth the time to review thoroughly. Naturally, these are just suggestions, but they are the experts so it's a good place to start while you figure out your own palate.

Tomorrow night the St. Louis Wine Club is doing a belated version of Open That Bottle Night and I referenced both of these guides to determine which of two bottles I was going to open....stay tuned in a  couple days for the choice and the results!