How Long Should I Age My Wine?

The Wall Street Journal recently came out with an article stating that most people have one or two wines that they've been saving for years for a special occasion. This is probably not a good idea!

More that 90 percent of all wine - red, white, and rosé - should be consumed within a year. With that in mind, the following is a guideline to aging wine from the best producers in the best years.

White Wines

California Chardonnay: 3-8+ years
French White Burgundy: 2-10+ years
German Riesling (Auslese, Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauselese): 3-30+ years
French Sauternes 3-30+ year

Red Wines

Bordeaux Châteaux: 5-30+ years
California Cabernet Sauvignon: 3-15+ years
Argentine Malbec: 3-15+ years
Barolo and Barbaresco: 5-25+ years
Brunello di Montalcino: 3-15+ years
Chianti Classico Riservas: 3-10+ years
Spanish Riojas (Gran Reservas): 5-20+ years
Hermitage/Shiraz: 5-25+ years
California Zinfandel: 5-15+ years
California Merlot: 2-10+ years
California/Oregon Pinot Noirs: 2-5+ years
French Red Burgundy: 3-8+ years
Vintage Ports: 10-40+ years

There are always exceptions to the rules when it comes to generalizing about the aging of wine (especially considering the variations in vintages), hence the plus signs in the table above. I have had Bordeaux wines more than a hundred years old that were still going strong. It is also not unlikely to find a great Sauternes or Port that still needs time to age after its fiftieth birthday. But the above age spans represent more than 95 percent of the wines in their categories.

P.S. The oldest bottle of wine still aging in Bordeaux is a 1797 Lafite-Rothschild.

The above post appears in the 2009 edition of the Windows on the World Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly, available in bookstores now. Look for the 25th anniversary edition in Fall of 2009. The Windows on the World Complete Wine Course is the world's best-selling, most highly praised wine book.