The question pops up all the time in wine seminars and classes, between friends and colleagues. Someone mentions a dusty bottle of wine in the basement they saved from their wedding night. Or perhaps someone else bought a bottle to commemorate the birth of their child who turns 21 next week and wants to know if they should even bother opening it.

Are they still good?

As with all things wine, there is no hard and fast rule that can be applied to the question of ageability. But this column is going to hopefully clear a few things up for you, and dispel some misconceptions along the way.

First and foremost, no two grape varieties are equal. No two grow the same, or age the same in the bottle. Focusing on either side of the red vs. white categories for the discussion, still renders the glaring differences between grapes like Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, or Pinot Noir and Syrah. Even if a particular varietal is chosen as the "test subject," the country of origin, vintner and vintage change the playing field altogether.

Pinot Noir for example, grows very different in the Cote de Nuits in Burgundy than it does in Sonoma County. The soil structure, root stock, growing season, vinification and more all are different and impact the way each wine will age.

If this wasn't a confusing enough start, take into account personal taste and the country in which the wine is consumed, and you will find the answer to how long wine should age drastically different. New World countries (the entire western hemisphere, Australia and New Zealand) tend to drink their quality wine considerably younger than their Old World counterparts (France, Italy, Germany, Spain and everyone else who taught all the New World-ers how to make wine).

But how do we know when a wine will taste its best?

Since there hasn't even been an attempt to answer the question yet, let's get to it.

Whites don't last as long as reds -- they almost always have next-to-no tannins, and the balance of tannin and acid is what allows wine to age. There are two types of tannins: grape tannins and tannins found in the skins and seeds. Since the majority of whites see little-to-no contact with the skins, they seldom contain skin tannins. Grape tannins are wonderful for body and texture, but are far more dainty and fair and don't help the aging.

Whites are also typically oak-aged far less than quality reds. If they see any serious amount of time in the barrel, they will more often than not be big whites like Chardonnay, capable of hanging on for a few years.

Oak aging starts to get a bit more technical, but suffice to say that the process allows the chemical makeup of the wine, particularly wines with complicated tannin structure, to settle in for the long haul (anthocyanins and acetobaters begin to work their magic -- that's all the big, geeky vocabulary you get for today).

The other major thing prohibiting whites from aging is that the air in the bottle can unbind the chemical compound acetaldehyde also know as ethanal, causing oxidation (OK, so one more geeky A-word had to make an appearance). Because they don't have the tannins and backbone that reds do, sulfur dioxide is often added to help keep the acetaldehyde under wraps. But whites are still more fragile and unstable, and consequently age much quicker. A white that is too old will begin to change color, gradually turning amber, then brown, and develop a pungent warm apple and nutty character.

Some whites are meant to be consumed in the first year, others will age for 15 or more years. It all depends of the varietal, region and vintage.

For red wines, the basics from the white discussion above apply (skin tannins, oak aging, etc.) Since the primary tannins come from the skins, the thickness of the skins impacts the level and concentration of tannins. Certain grapes such as Pinot Noir have thin, delicate skins. Consequently, the density of tannins and chemical makeup is much lighter. This means that Pinot's won't age nearly as long as bigger, more dense red wines. Cabernet, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and others, all have the capacity for serious age because of the concentration of tannins.

However, a thick-skinned, oak-aged cab doesn't necessarily mean longevity. The key to long life comes from the soil and the vintage. Normal agricultural thought would dictate that rich, fertile soil would be the ideal playground for grapes to grow. The contrary is the case -- the harder a vine has to work to survive, the higher the quality. When a vine has to struggle to get the required minerals and nutrients to the grapes, it produces fewer actual grapes, but the grapes that do grow are far more concentrated, complex and full of flavor.

Vintage is even more essential. Sunshine is wonderful, and essential for grapes to grow, but a long, steady and balanced growing season is what creates an age-worthy vintage. From bud break to harvest, the right amount of rain, warm days and cool nights, all in the right order, are what determine a vintage that will allow a great wine to improve with age.

Add all these physical factors together and we still haven't talked about ideal storage conditions. Did the bottle sit perfectly still in a climate controlled environment at 55 degrees? How many times did the bottle change hands before you bought it, and what kind of treatment did it receive along the way? If a wine has been well cared for and stored in an ideal setting, the likelihood of drinkability is increased. If not, all bets are off.

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4 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by ths on May 13, 2009 at 3:45 p.m. (report)

for all you wine lovers, do you know that Tool frontman Maynard will be in town June 3rd at Whole Foods to sign bottles of his wine.

Posted by ozricale on May 13, 2009 at 11:16 a.m. (report)

I'm very impressed. This is one of the best-written articles I've ever read on the topic of aging wine. Well detailed, yet plain-spoken and easy to read. It's funny, my daughter turns 21 next month and yes, I have a bottle someone gave me when she was born. The problem is they put a commemorative label over the original one, so I have no idea what kind of wine it is! I'll let you know....

Posted by danielnathan on May 13, 2009 at 9:56 a.m. (report)

2005 Bordeaux usually does the trick

Posted by BlatzLiquor on May 13, 2009 at 9:43 a.m. (report)

Great article! For all you wine lovers I'm having a free tasting tomorrow from 5-7pm at Blatz Market & Liquor. 1121 N. Broadway Ave. Stop by! :)