Why does wine need to age? Can it age theoretically forever?
In: Chemistry
the VAST majority of wine is meant to be consumed within the first few years of release.
many fine red wines have tannins and phenolic compounds that can be intense and forward in a young wine, and will change chemically over time as they bind with each other, soften and become more integrated. kind of like a food dish that requires some length simmering to really develop deep and complex flavors.
as many have already stated, there is a point where a wine can age too long and lose much of what made it enjoyable.
my biggest advice is to try wines of young, mid and older ages to find what you like best. although im somewhat of a wine geek, i don’t enjoy substantially aged wines. i prefer my wines on the mid-young range, generally in years 6-12 after vintage date. i find there’s still plenty of forward fruit flavors, with some added secondary flavors and a softer structure. if i’m presented with a very young wine and a very old wine, i’m always choosing the young wine.
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