ask a sommelier
When my partner spends a fortune on expensive wine from regional wineries and purports to “ cellar ” it , why does it taste terrible when he finally determines that it is time to open it ? What is the proper method of cellaring wine ( I assume the answer will not be “ store it on the shelf under your microwave !”), and how do you know when it ’ s peaking ?
— Marnie McConnell
Dear Marnie ,
Cellaring allows wines to evolve from obviously fruity and sometimes harsh youth into complex , elegant and silky maturity . Optimum cellar conditions resemble the environment of a cave — unwavering cool temperature ( 13 ° C is ideal ), dark , moderately humid and vibration-free .
Cellared wines may disappoint because the wine was never intended to be aged ; cellar conditions were sub-optimal — the longer the storage the greater the impact ; or the wine was kept too long and dried out , i . e . lost its fruit concentration leaving only acid , alcohol and tannins . Or , you may not like the sometimes caramel , earthy , meaty taste of age .
Some age-worthy wines peak after a few years whereas others need at least 5 – 10 years . To hit the drinking window of a given wine , put down at least 3 bottles ( 12 is even better !) and monitor its maturation . Experts like to predict how a wine will age , but the best indicator of aging potential is the success of previous vintages .
– Gary Hewitt
Every time I drink red wine I get headaches , but I am totally fine with white . I have heard that it is the tannins that cause them . Is this true , or is there something else in red wine that causes them ? Is there any red that is “ headache-free ”?
— Ainsley Price
Dear Ainsley ,
Good question . Since wines are complex blends of many components , there is no simple answer .
Tannins are often thought to be the culprit . Strong tea and chocolate contain tannins , so if those are alright , look further . Histamines and phenolics ( from grape solids ) are also thought to be a problem . Sulfites have been blamed , but white wines contain more sulfites than reds — and other foods , like pickles and dried fruit contain even more . For some , oak does it . French oak tends to be tighter-grained than American oak , so some people find luck with French oak-aged wines , or no oak treatment at all . Others believe that pesticides and herbicides in the vineyard do it .
Low tannin wines ( such as Pinot Noir ), or Rosés might work for you . Or you might do better with wines from smaller producers who take an organic approach . But for some , it is impossible to predict .
The best solution is to keep track and see if you can find a pattern . The folks I know who have done this have made interesting discoveries !
On a final note , please remember that I am a Sommelier , not a doctor . Be sure to consult your doctor if you need medical advice .
— Sylvia Jansen
Will the labelling of wine according to “ cepage ” eventually come to be the global standard even in places like France that still rely on the notion of “ terroir ?”
— Patricia Denton
Dear Patricia ,
Great question , but a tough one to answer . While the “ New World ” almost exclusively bottles with the “ cepage ” ( grape variety ) on the label , most of the “ Old World ” ( Europe ) still labels regionally ( eg : Bordeaux , Burgundy , Chianti , etc ). The reason behind this is that the grapes that are grown in these regions have been grown there for centuries as they were found to be the most suitable to those regions . In fact , only 15 years ago , you could see Canadian wine labelled as Chablis ( Chardonnay ) because it reflected this style . International rules now do not allow that .
It is unlikely that we will soon see Bordeaux labelled as “ Cabernet / Merlot / Cabernet / Franc / Petit , Verdot / Malbec ” or Chianti as “ Sangiovese ” in the near future , but we are seeing labelling changes beginning to evolve , especially in the
South of France where most producers can name their wines as a varietal under the French wine laws . We even have one producer , Mischief & Mayhem , from Burgundy that has started stating Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on their labels — who knows what doors this could open . – Mike Muirhead
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