How do you know a wine is ready to be drunk?

Here are some general guidelines

Author

Dozie Anyaegbunam
December 15, 2023

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Today, we talking about the peak drinking window. And I don’t mean if you should drink wine between 6pm and 9pm.

The peak drinking window of wine = the period when your bottle of wine is at its best. At this point, it is at peak maturity, balanced and aged.

This window depends on a couple of factors. The wine’s vintage year, the type of grape, the terroir, and how the wine was made and stored. Now, unless you plan to work in a vineyard or winemaker, let’s focus on choosing your wines with this period in mind.

If you wanna learn more about these factors, please let me know, and I can try to explain them in another edition.

Something to add before we progress

As my friend and fellow wine lover, David Rice, puts it, the best time to uncork a bottle is when you’re ready to drink it. While this might not apply to some wines that are way past their drinking windows, I agree.

Some ‘flexible’ peak window rules to guide your next wine shopping

DALL-E prompt: A bottle of wine depicted in cubist style, featuring abstract, geometric shapes and multiple perspectives. The image should have a vibrant palette.

Wines under C$35 should be drunk immediately. Or, at best, within the next two to five years from the vintage year. If the wine’s vintage year is 2016, scram. Only buy if the wine was made with Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. Those grape varietals can age for much longer.

Generic wines with no vintage year on the bottle should be consumed within two years of purchase. I often steer clear of these bottles.

The more expensive wines (over C$60) will often need some aging. Now this depends on the vintage year.

Some general guidelines for red wines:

  • Light-bodied reds: Wines like Pinot Noir, Cinsault, Amarone, and Beaujolais are best enjoyed within 2-5 years post-vintage.

  • Medium-bodied reds: Wines like Grenache, Merlot, Malbec, Zinfandel, and Tempranillo should be drunk within 3-7 years post-vintage.

  • Full-bodied reds: Wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, and high-quality Bordeaux wines will reach their peak between 5-10 years. But most will continue to age for decades.

  • Premium reds: Wines like Brunello di Montalcino, Tignanello, and Chateau Margaux should be cellared for 10 - 20 years or more.

Most white wines, aside from Chardonnay, Riesling, and the premium Burgundy white wines, are best drunk within five years after the vintage. Some general guidelines:

  • Light, fresh whites: Wines like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and unoaked Chardonnay are best consumed within 1-3 years of their vintage.

  • Medium-bodied whites: Wines like Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Albarino, and oaked Chardonnay need more aging, about 3-5 years of their vintage year.

  • Late-harvest whites: Wines like Riesling, Sauternes, Chenin Blanc, and Gewurztraminer (note some wineries make young Gewurztraminer) can age as long as 10 years.

  • Premium whites: White Burgundy and Smaragd are some examples of premium whites that can age for decades before hitting their peak.

     

Oaked vs. unoaked Chardonnay

Oaked Chardonnays are aged in oak barrels, and you’ll often see flavor descriptors like butter, vanilla, and spice.

Unoaked Chardonnays are aged in neutral barrels and often have fruit flavors such as citrus as their flavor descriptors.

Some winemakers are often kind enough to call the distinction out on the bottle.

There you go. Remember, these are general guidelines. Individual wines might vary. Personal preferences might vary.

For example, I prefer the complex and softer flavors of older red wines, while my friend Dan likes the vibrant, bold fruity flavors you get with young red wines.

So, uncork when you are ready to drink.

Now, go uncork a bottle. It’s the weekend.

Dozie ❤️

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