What types of wine will keep for a long time?!
Answers: And which ones should be used soon after purchase? I sometimes hear about very old bottles of wine that are worth a lot of money, then I hear that wine can go bad and should not be stored too long. I'm confused- is it the type of wine that makes the difference? Which types can you keep for a long time in hopes the value goes up? Does anyone use winekeeping as part of their investment portfolio?
It is confusing, I know. I can try to help.
Basically, 90% of what you are going to see at your local grocery store or general wine shop is made to be drank. Most of these wines are $50 and under.
The remaining 10% are meant to be stored under controlled conditions to allow the wines to mature. Bordeaux wines are a great example of this, as are some higher end California cabernets. Over time, the tannins (the contents that make red wine seem "bitter") begin to mellow and certain flavours and tastes begin to appear.
Not all wines are meant to age. Because they are bottled as ready to go, they will not benefit from aging. They may turn to vinegar, as someone mentioned, but more likely they will simply bottom out. Meaning, they lose most of their flavours.
A 50 year old Beringer White Zin won't be worth anything. Ditto for a Yellow Tail Shiraz. Or a Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. Or a Korbel Sparkling Wine.
But, bring me a 2005 Petrus and I'll hold it for 50 years, and I'm sure I'll make some cash back on my $5000 investment. : )
We have a good sized wine collection, but we don't have it to sell it. We have to so that in 5-10 years, we will enjoy it thoroughly with friends and family. It's increasing in value all the time, but we don't use it as a factor in our net worth or anything. Yes, there are people who buy up wine with the sole goal to resell it, but it's a tricky and finicky business. There are few wines that are guaranteed to increase in value, and generally, and the best prices come in cases. So, that's a lot of space that you have to have, and a controlled temperature, for years on end.
Once uncorked, most wine does not have a long shelf life (less than 2 weeks at room temperature). After that time, it starts to turn into vinegar.
If kept corked, wine can be kept for a long time as long as it is not stored in ultra-hot, humid conditions (that is what destroyed all the expensive wines at the upscale restaurants in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina).
Red wines generally keep longer than white and rose wines. Wines with more tannin keep longer than wines with less tannin.
If you keep wine more than a day or two, make sure that the cork stays wet - lay the bottle on its side.
i do not no cuz i do not drink its bad 4 u
Red typically last longer than white. Big collections are usually red as far as I know. As the person above said, you have to have the right storage facility to store wine. Typically not exposed to light and in a cool/damp area.
Now, not any wine bottle can be stored to become vintage wine. For example, you can't just buy a bottle of Beaujolais and store it. Those will probably turn to vinegar after a couple of year. A lot of old wine value has to do with the name and vineyard it comes from and how it was made. Another part of it is the grape and how it was grown. Just because a wine is worth $500+ because of it's age, you may taste it and find that you hate. In that case it has no value to you now, doesn't it (unless you want to sell it).
Anyway... hope this helps. If you want to invest in "wine", I don't think keeping bottles around is the best way to go though it my be safer than investing in a producer or vineyard.
white wine...refrigerated
the wines that keep for years are in a controlled environment, such as a chiller, refrigerator, or cellar, protected from swings of temperature.
Wine kept in an unconditioned garage in phoenix or someplace like that, isn't going to get it