How To Properly Age Your Wine

Wine aging is a tricky process that comes with so many questions; how long should we age it? Which varietals are best for aging? What temperature should the wine be? How will I know when to open it? Why bother aging it when it tastes good now?

The list goes on.

But I’m here to cut through some of those questions and help you store your wine for the long haul the right way.

First, if you’re planning on storing your wine please make sure it’s laying down flat so the wine can keep the cork moist (if the bottle in question doesn’t have a cork and is a screw-top instead, know it’s meant to be drunk now, screw-top wines are designed to be drunk in the first three or so years after bottling). The cork staying moist is essential, if it dries out it’ll let in air that will prematurely age the wine.

Secondly, keep the wine in a cool dark place, you don’t want it spoiling by getting light-strike (being in the light too long), or getting too warm, which will also prematurely age the wine. Ideal temps for wine storage are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take five degrees on either side.

For a wine to age well it needs to have enough structure to support it through the aging process. The balance between the acidity, fruit, tannin, and alcohol needs to be able to hold up for the long run. Anyone who has ever had a flat soda understands the importance in the acidity. Think of it as the spine of the wine that holds the body together. There should be a higher acidity level in your wine if you’re planning on aging it for a long time so that spine can still support the structure years later after the wine has lost some of that original acidity.

Tannins in red wines will also soften as they ages, smoothing out those flavors that might have been quite stringent when the wine was young

The wines will change color as they age, too. Red wines will slowly become more russet and white wines will slowly become more brown (think of them as a banana where the brown can be a good thing, like the very best banana baked goods).

Each individual varietal ages differently, and does best with different lengths of time, especially if it’s a blend. That being said, here’s a rough estimate for how long your red or white wine could last (we’re not getting into fortified wines today):

Riesling ~ 15-25 years

Nebbiolo ~ 20 years

Aglianico ~ 20 years

Cabernet Sauvignon ~ 10-20 years

Tempranillo ~ 10-20 years

White Rioja ~ 10-15 years

Sangiovese ~ 7-17 years

Merlot ~ 7-17 years

Syrah (or Shiraz) ~ 5-15 years

Chardonnay ~ 10 years (longer for wines from Bourgogne)

Pinot Noir ~ 10 years (longer for wines from Bourgogne)

Malbec ~ 10 years

Trebbiano ~ 8 years

Garganega ~ 8 years

Semillon ~ 7 years (longer for wines from Bordeux)

Zinfandel ~ 5 years

Sauvignon Blanc ~ 4 years

Viognier ~ 4 years

Muscadet ~ 3 years

Pinot Gris ~ 3 years