You’ve probably heard this popular statement: “good wine is old wine.” But the truth is that few wines were produced to be kept for many years, or even for decades.
In this case, the rare exception is the so-called guard wines, which belong to a particular class of wines produced to be tasted for 10 to 20 years. But for everyday consumption, it is necessary to demystify some things, so you can understand the most appropriate ways to store wine at home in places like wine cellar (ห้อง เก็บ ไวน์ which is the term in Thai).
It is known that, in general, white and rosé wines are the least resistant to weathering. Therefore, on average, the vast majority does not exceed three years of shelf life – this period also applies to drinks produced from young grapes. Some red wines tend to keep their aromas and freshness for longer, up to 10 years.
Before storing your favorite wine, check the properties – some manufacturers record guidelines on the label – to see how it looks now and how it can be tasted in the future.
The ideal temperature for storing wine
In most cases, wines need environments with a cool temperature. We are talking about something around 12 to 14ºC, and it can reach 24ºC, although some types of wines have specific conditions.
But don’t worry too much about it if you’re going to consume the bottle in days, weeks, or a few months. This care is more valid for storage in acclimatized cellars or wine storage (ที่ เก็บ ไวน์ which is the term in Thai), mainly preserving wines in storage. You need to worry about environments with temperatures above 25ºC because this temperature can accelerate the aging of wines. Furthermore, keeping them in cool places with balanced and constant temperatures is essential, as the wines are sensitive to extreme thermal variations.
What Are Guard Wines?
These are labels designed and produced specifically to receive new aromas and flavors to evolve over a long time, up to two decades.
But few guard wines carry this particular classification. We are talking about some Bordeaux and Burgundy (France); Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello (Italy); Port and Madeira wine (Portugal); Gran Reservas de Rioja and Ribera (Spain), among other “precious things.”
The wine must be rich in some characteristics: good structure of acidity and tannins, sugar (sweet wines), and alcohol (fortified wines) to withstand the storage time. Another point to note is that different types of aromas (tertiary) and flavors are formed over the years. Thus, fruitiness and freshness tend to give way to more complex notes, for example.
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