How does one tell how long a red wine should be stored and know when it is peaking so it can be enjoyed best?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
This is a great question since there is a great deal of talk of drinking wine (typically red) when it has reached some magical point of perfect maturity. The two key considerations are, first, that there are no universal rules or standards you can apply to all wine and, second, that your own taste preferences will ultimately determine the ideal moment to drink a certain wine. Many critics tend to suggest a probable lifespan when they write a review, but these projections should be viewed as approximations. They can nevertheless give you a very general idea of how long to keep a wine. Of course, most wines are intended to be consumed within a few years of release and really do not need further aging. Only the minority have the potential to develop and improve in bottle - or actually need time to become softer and more palatable.
