Chapter 18
Buying and Cellaring Wines
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Objectives
• After reading this chapter, you should be able to
– identify the key cellar conditions to store and age wine.
– list wine styles that are appropriate to cellar and those
that are not.
– discuss the changes that happen to the structural
elements of wine during bottle aging.
– identify the factors that affect the development of the
wine in the bottle.
– list the factors to consider when serving older wines in a
restaurant setting.
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Introduction
• Most Americans do not purchase wine with the
intention of aging it; they purchase a bottle to have
with dinner that night or later in the week.
• A small percentage of the population does purchase
wine to age, sometimes for a period of decades.
• In a restaurant setting, having access to older wine
can be a special service for the guests.
• Cellars do not need to be huge or very complicated
as long as some basic storage criteria are met.
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Why Age Wine?
• The main reason to age wine is to allow it to
improve in the cellar area.
– As it ages, the wine undergoes a series of small
changes that accumulate to have a large impact
on the wine.
– The wine gains complexity in aromatics, and the
impression on the palate softens, creating a more
enjoyable drinking experience.
– Some wines can start out with little to offer and
gain complexity with bottle age.
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Which Wines Should Be Aged?
• Those wines that will truly benefit from long-term
aging are a small minority of the wine world.
– The majority of wines produced are enjoyable upon
release and designed for immediate consumption.
– There is a fair amount of guesswork that comes into play
when considering how a given wine will age.
– It is impossible to know exactly how a wine will age, but
generalizations can be helpful in determining an
appropriate aging window.
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Which Wines Should Be Aged?
(continued)
• If a wine is to age appropriately and gain
complexity as it does so, it must start life with
a balanced profile.
– If the wine has too much alcohol or too much
oak when it is young, it will not become better
with bottle age.
– Aging a wine that lacks balance will simply result
in an older, unbalanced wine.
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How Long to Age the Wine?
• First, it is important to remember that very
few of the world’s wines need to age to be
pleasurable.
– Additionally, the best wines to age are mostly
reds, since whites do not hold up nearly as well in
the cellar.
– It is better to consume a wine too early rather
than too late.
– A wine that is past its peak has lost much of the
character that makes it enjoyable.
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How Long to Age the Wine?
(continued)
• Before aging any wine, it is important to focus on
what is appealing about the wine.
– For example, with Cabernet Sauvignon, astringency is a
key component of the varietal and is especially noticeable
in young wines.
– If the collector enjoys this astringency, then aging is not be
the best option because aging diminishes it.
– If a taster enjoys the fresh, fruity nature of a young wine,
then aging is not the best idea because the fruit character
will diminish with bottle age.
© 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.
What Happens as Wines Age?
• Color
• To generalize, it would be safe to say that white
wines get darker with age while red wines get lighter
in color.
– White wines change from a light gold color and take on
more of a darker amber color.
– Red wines change from dark red and take on a brick red
or tawny brown color.
• In red wines, this change is the result of changes in
the anthocyanins or color compounds present that
precipitate out over time.
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What Happens as Wines Age?
(continued)
• Aromatics
• Red wines in particular change from having primary
varietal fruit characteristics and aromas to having
more of a bottle bouquet.
– Bottle bouquet refers to the increasingly complex smells
that develop over time as a result of the interactions of
the various compounds.
– A young wine has primarily fruity aromas, and over time
the compounds that create this aroma diminish and the
wine will have less of a “fruity” character.
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What Happens as Wines Age?
(continued)
• The rate at which these changes take place is
dependent on many factors, including
–
–
–
–
the style of wine
the pH level and total acidity
the tannin structure
the temperature and humidity of the cellar or
storage area
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What Happens as Wines Age?
(continued)
• In some cases, a change in aromatics is
noticeable in just 3 to 6 months, especially
with young, recently bottled wines.
– In other cases, it may take several years for the
development of the bottle bouquet.
– Periodic tasting of wine at various stages of
development is the best way to gauge the
progress and decide upon the best time for
consumption.
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Aging and Tannins
• In red wines, tannins act as a preservative.
– To generalize, wines with higher levels of tannin
tend to be more age worthy than those will little
tannic structure.
– Since red wines have much higher levels of
tannins than whites, they are therefore more
ageable overall.
– As wines age, the perception of tannin
diminishes.
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Aging and Tannins (continued)
• When the wine is young, the tannin molecules are
short, and these molecules are perceived as being
quite astringent on the palate.
– As time passes, these smaller molecules link up to form
longer molecules that are perceived as much less
astringent on the palate.
– Eventually, these tannin molecules become so large that
they fall out of solution, adding to the sediment that
forms in the bottle.
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Acids
• The pH level of wine affects its color and its
development in the cellar.
– Acid also functions as a preservative, and more
acidic wines (lower pH level) are more age
worthy than those with less acid.
– Just as the perception of tannin diminishes with
time, so does the perception of acidity.
– Acid molecules also precipitate out of solution
and eventually add to the bottle sediment.
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Effects of Temperature on Aging
• One of the most important conditions in aging wine
is the temperature of the cellar.
– The ideal temperature range is between 55° and 60°F,
although a range of 50° to 65°F is acceptable.
– Below 50°F, the rate of aging slows; wines aged at low
temperatures do not develop the same as those aged in a
warmer environment.
– Aside from storing wine within the appropriate
temperature range, it is important that the temperature
remain constant.
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Sediment
• As wines age, they often to throw off silty sediment
that accumulates on the sides or bottom of the
bottle.
– This sediment is a combination of the color, acid, and
tannin compounds, which have bonded together.
– Wines with more tannins will create more sediment.
– The composition of the wine and the filtering practices
by the winemaker affect the amount of sediment.
– During tableside wine service, this sediment is removed
during the process of decanting.
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Bottle Size
• A general rule is that the larger the bottle, the
slower it ages.
– The ratio of the volume of wine in the bottle
compared to the amount of headspace or area
exposed to cork is lower on larger bottles.
– Many collectors focus on acquiring large format
bottles because their potential longevity is much
greater.
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The Effect of Vintage on Ageability
• The composition of the grapes at harvest
greatly impacts the style and profile of the
finished wine and its ageability.
– Wines with lower pH values develop more slowly
and have more potential ageability.
– Cooler regions and vintages tend to produce
wines with lower pH levels, and this in turn helps
to ensure that the wines will hold up better in the
cellar.
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The Effect of Vintage on Ageability
(continued)
• Vintages directly impact the character,
balance, and composition of the grapes, so
certain vintages age better than others.
• Wines can be cellared for
– short term (0 to 1 year)
– medium term (2 to 5 years)
– long term (6 to 10+ years)
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Which Wines Should NOT Be Aged?
• There are more wines that should not be aged than
those that should.
– The current trend is to produce fruit-forward wines that
should be enjoyable upon release.
– The vast majority of white wines are best served sooner
rather than later.
– Whites are appreciated for their up-front fruit character
and do not develop as well with age.
– If these wines were aged, the fresh fruitiness would
diminish, and they could develop different profiles that
not everyone would find enjoyable.
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Humidity During Storage
• The ideal level of humidity is relatively high,
usually in the 70 to 80 percent range.
– Lower humidity can lead to the drying of the
corks, and this in turn can cause oxygen to enter
the bottle and spoil the wine.
– Higher levels of humidity can cause mold to
form on the bottle labels.
• Although unsightly, in most cases it does not affect
the integrity of the wine in the bottle.
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Wine Cellars
• One solution for storage is for collectors to have a
custom cellar created to house their wine.
– These cellars employ a temperature control unit that
regulates the temperature and humidity of the cellar to
keep it within the ideal range.
– Custom designed cellars usually cost at least several
thousand dollars.
– In restaurants these cellar spaces can function as both an
event room and a marketing tool.
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Passive Cellars
• A passive cellar lacks a temperature or humidity
control system to maintain consistent levels.
– The success of these cellars relies on the ambient
temperature and humidity readings staying within an
acceptable range.
– These cellars may experience fluctuations in both
temperatures and humidity, depending on the season and
time of day.
– These fluctuations should be slight enough to not impact
the development of the wine.
– One advantage is minimal initial expense.
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Renting Storage Space
• These spaces are set up to ensure proper storage of
fine wine, including temperature and humidity
control.
– These services are often very affordable, depending on
the volume of wine stored there.
– Some restaurant operators may elect to store their wine
collection in a rental space if the restaurant does not have
proper storage.
– Obviously, operators will have more limited access to the
wines in their inventory.
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Racking for the Wine
• There are many different racking options
available on the market that cater to the
demands of budget and storage space.
– The most common are metal or wood racks
which allow the bottles to be laid on their side.
– This ensures that the corks stay moist and
continue to provide a proper seal against oxygen
entering the bottle.
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Racking for the Wine (continued)
• Many restaurants organize the storage area to
facilitate locating specific wines.
– One of the most common methods is using bin numbers.
– A bin number is a reference number that directs the staff
to the location of a specific wine in the cellar.
– These numbers are usually listed on the wine list as well,
so guests who choose to do so may order according to
the wine’s bin number.
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Buying Futures
• Buying futures means that the wine is
purchased before it is actually released to the
market.
– Buying on futures means that the customer can
secure the desired wines before the public has a
chance to buy the inventory.
– Sometimes, the wine is not delivered to the
customer for several years, because it may be
bought while it is still in barrel.
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Buying Futures (continued)
• Many producers will offer discounts to
customers when they purchase futures; this is
advantageous for the winery because they
help fund winery operations.
– This practice is most common in Bordeaux,
France, but is also used elsewhere for highly
allocated wines.
– For wines that are produced in high volumes,
buying on futures is not recommended because
they will be readily available upon release.
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Buying Wine at Auctions
• Auctions offer the chance to access wines that were
sold out long ago, but have been offered as a lot to
be sold to the highest bidder.
– But to those who are looking for value or are not
prepared to stop bidding when the price gets too high,
they can end up paying far too much for the wine.
– These wines come from the cellars of private collectors
or are re-releases from the wineries.
– Wines sold from passive cellars often command lower
prices than those with guaranteed provenance.
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Older Wine and Restaurants
• Clearly, very few restaurant operations have
the space and financial ability to age wines for
years.
– Not every restaurant will have customers who
expect offerings of older fine wines.
– The demand for these products should be
evaluated before making a large investment for
the list.
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Serving Older Wines in the Restaurant
• There are several key factors to serving older wines:
– Most older wines will contain sediment, and this should
be addressed through proper tableside decanting.
– Because wines gain in complexity with age and often have
softened considerably, they are often more sensitive to
the food that they complement.
– Wines that have developed intense complexity may be
best served with simple dishes, because intense flavors in
the food may overwhelm the wine.
© 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Summary
• The desire to cellar and age wine stems from the
idea that certain wines improve with bottle age.
• Over time, the formation of the bottle bouquet
offers a greater level of complexity and can allow
the taster a more enjoyable experience.
• The key requirements for cellaring wine include
proper selection of wines to cellar, storage
conditions that are conducive to aging, and the
desire to monitor a wine’s development.
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Summary (continued)
• By choosing the appropriate wines to age and
providing proper storage conditions, any
collector can discover the rewards of older
wine:
– more complex and intriguing profiles
– a greater understanding of how the age of wine
can affect the perception of its character
© 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.