ask a sommelier
I recently opened a bottle I had been aging for a few years , and although it tasted fine , I was left wondering whether I should have aged it even longer . How do you gauge the perfect drinking window ?
— Alden Polanski
Dear Alden ,
There is no one-size-fits-all formula for determining a wine ’ s “ perfect drinking window ,” but here are some things to keep in mind . First , make sure the wine is designed for aging . The vast majority of wines on the market are ready to be enjoyed when they are released to the market , and drink well over the following 6 months to 2 years ; wines designed to age longer than that are in the small minority . Second , assuming your bottle is age worthy , look for guidelines referring to your particular bottle . What does the producer recommend ? ( Check their website .) What do the wine experts recommend ? ( Ask us !) And what is the general rule for wines of similar ilk ? ( For example , expensive Barolo can usually age for a decade or two ).
When it actually comes to tasting a bottle , pay particular attention to the structure of the wine . The key to age worthiness in red wines is the intensity and quality of mouth-drying tannins ; in whites , mouth-watering acidity is really key ( but remember that the wine must be of quality in the first instance ). As well , the fruit of a young wine , red or white , ought to be vibrant and obvious . If the tannins are still in-your-face and chewy ( and the fruit is still strong ), then you know the wine could have been aged longer . If the tannins are soft and less pronounced ( and the fruit quality shows more dried fruit , or other aromas ), these are signs that the wine is closer to the “ window .”
When deciding when to taste , keep your personal priorities in mind . As a wine ages , its fruit will tend to decrease , and the other tastes and aromas will tend to increase . So if you ’ re into big and fruity , you might want to question the logic of aging wines in the first place .
Ultimately , we can assess a wine ’ s ageability based on structure , acidity , balance , and the track record of previous vintages ; but each person ’ s preference should also be taken into account . And remember the rule ( if you can afford it ): always buy at least two or three bottles of something you intend to age to better your chances of catching that vintage at its pinnacle .
— Brooklyn Hurst
Why do fruit flies like Picconero more than Terlan Pinot Grigio ? We had fruit flies ALL OVER our red wine last night — but not the white wine !
— Tina Jones
Dear Tina ,
There might be several reasons why fruit flies would be more attracted to the Picconero , a beautiful Tuscan Merlot-based wine , than to the Terlan Pinot Grigio , a stylish white from the Alto Adige in Italy .
The relative volatility is one : some aromatic compounds in wine are the same as those in ripe ( and overripe ) fruit . These include esters and aldehydes that may well be present in higher concentrations in the Picconero than in the Terlan Pinot Grigio . These compounds are highly attractive to insects in general and fruit flies in particular .
Moreover , warmer liquids are more volatile than colder liquids — they release their aromatic compounds at faster rates . You would likely have served your Pinot Grigio colder , which would have made the Picconero a far more attractive place for their favourite activities of eating and laying eggs . It is not pleasant to think that fruit flies are homesteading and having children in our wine , but you asked !
— Gary Hewitt and Sylvia Jansen
How do I choose the right wine to use for cooking ?
— Aidan Douglas
Dear Aidan ,
Cooking with wine is different than “ cooking wine .” Anything labelled
“ cooking wine ” will have salt added as a preservative and contain food colouring . This is not the type of wine to use .
The best wines for cooking are high in acid , but low in tannin and oak , with a good alcohol level . The alcohol helps dissolve fat and is cooked off , leaving just the flavour behind . Dominant flavours in the wine should parallel those in the food . For example , I would use an earthy Pinot Noir with a mushroom dish and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc with a lemon chicken .
Sangiovese is a good red to use for its acidity , especially in tomato sauces ; Pinot Noir is good because it is less tannic . Highly tannic wines like Cabernet Sauvignon can leave the finished dish tasting a little harsh . Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadet are good white varieties to cook with because of their high acidity ; oaked Chardonnay can be nice in a smoked fish dish , while unoaked Chardonnays are nice in a seafood cream sauce .
Too much wine can overpower the food , too little is a wasted effort and a waste of wine . Final advice : if you wouldn ’ t drink the wine , don ’ t pour it into your food !
— Karen Nissen
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