Wine varieties

Is there a web site that tells how long you should hold on the different
varieties of wine? For instance Cabernet Sauvignon XX yrs,
Cabernet/Shiraz XX yrs, Chenin Blanc XX yrs, Etc

Any help would be great.

Thank you
Mickel

mickel6830 wrote:
> Is there a web site that tells how long you should hold on the different
> varieties of wine? For instance Cabernet Sauvignon XX yrs,
> Cabernet/Shiraz XX yrs, Chenin Blanc XX yrs, Etc

There is no such site, mainly because nobody knows. That's the nice
thing about wine, you just have to keep guessing till you get it right. :-)

In all seriousness, the grape variety alone is not sufficient
information to determine longevity. There are too many variables,
including place of origin, vintage year and most importantly the name of
the producer, to simply make a chart.

--
Mike Tommasi - Six Fours, France
email link http://www.tommasi.org/mymail

mickel6830 wrote:

> Is there a web site that tells how long you should hold on the different
> varieties of wine? For instance Cabernet Sauvignon XX yrs,
> Cabernet/Shiraz XX yrs, Chenin Blanc XX yrs, Etc

Vintage charts (try google - I don't have web access ATM) have such
information, but it is usually by area (Bordeaux, Burgundy etc) rather
than variety. And, as Mike implies, they are of very limited value.

Price usually correlate quite well with whether you should age the wine
at all - drink cheaper ones right away - it is unlikely they will improve.


--
Steve Slatcher
http://pobox.com/~steve.slatcher

Mike Tommasi <nobody@tommasi.org> wrote in news:7pttejF5p7U1
@mid.individual.net:

> mickel6830 wrote:
>> Is there a web site that tells how long you should hold on the different
>> varieties of wine? For instance Cabernet Sauvignon XX yrs,
>> Cabernet/Shiraz XX yrs, Chenin Blanc XX yrs, Etc
>
> There is no such site, mainly because nobody knows. That's the nice
> thing about wine, you just have to keep guessing till you get it right. :-)
>
> In all seriousness, the grape variety alone is not sufficient
> information to determine longevity. There are too many variables,
> including place of origin, vintage year and most importantly the name of
> the producer, to simply make a chart.

Mike,
Thank you for your reply.

I am just trying to keep better account of the wines i have in my cellar.
So, for instance my Pinot Noir are getting ready to drink, i will drink these
instead of going out a purchasing more. I mainly have California Cabs from
mid 90's to present, California Pinot Noir from 2004 to present, Michigan
reds and whites from 2006 to present.

"mickel6830" <mickel6830@yahoo.com> skrev i melding
news:Xns9CF07C6AE56mickel6830yahoo.com@216.196.97. 131...
> I am just trying to keep better account of the wines i have in my cellar.
> So, for instance my Pinot Noir are getting ready to drink, i will drink
> these
> instead of going out a purchasing more. I mainly have California Cabs
> from
> mid 90's to present, California Pinot Noir from 2004 to present, Michigan
> reds and whites from 2006 to present.
>
Ah, well, there's some information :-) I'd say that US wines are more
fruitdriven than European (very heavy generalization!) and therefore don't
need/benefit from longer term storage. So, all you mention are probably
ready to drink, maybe even over the hill for those from the mid-90's... and
maybe the Michigan ones are those that need a couple more years (just
guessing from a supposedly cooler climate, of course)

Anders

Anders Tørneskog wrote:
> maybe the Michigan ones are those that need a couple more years (just
> guessing from a supposedly cooler climate, of course)

Cooler climate wines need more aging?


--
Mike Tommasi - Six Fours, France
email link http://www.tommasi.org/mymail

On Dec 29, 1:44�pm, "Anders T rneskog" <sredna.goksen...@i2c.ten>
wrote:
> "mickel6830" <mickel6...@yahoo.com> skrev i meldingnews:Xns9CF07C6AE56mickel6830yahoo.com@216. 196.97.131...> I am just trying to keep better accountof the wines i have in my cellar.
> > So, for instance my Pinot Noir are getting ready to drink, i will drink
> > these
> > instead of going out a purchasing more. �I mainly have California Cabs
> > from
> > mid 90's to present, California Pinot Noir from 2004 to present, Michigan
> > reds and whites from 2006 to present.
>
> Ah, well, there's some information :-) �I'd say that US wines aremore
> fruitdriven than European (very heavy generalization!) and therefore don't
> need/benefit from longer term storage. �So, all you mention are probably
> ready to drink, maybe even over the hill for those from the mid-90's... and
> maybe the Michigan ones are those that need a couple more years (just
> guessing from a supposedly cooler climate, of course)
>
> Anders

I'm not sure that this paradigm holds true regarding the US wines. I
think most wines are drinkable on release these days but many fruit
driven New World wines benefit by some aging. On the other hand I
would drink the Michigan wines asap as they were never built to age.
There just isn't enough summer in Michigan to get the grapes totally
ripe and they tend to lack structure. They are enjoyable as quaffers
but I've never had a Michigan or Ohio wine that had the stuffing and
balance to last....and I've lived in Ohio for 40 years.

"Mike Tommasi" <nobody@tommasi.org> skrev i melding
news:7pv2d5FjmcU1@mid.individual.net...
> Anders Tørneskog wrote:
>> maybe the Michigan ones are those that need a couple more years (just
>> guessing from a supposedly cooler climate, of course)
>
> Cooler climate wines need more aging?
>
Look to Bordeaux... :-)

On the other hand - wines from very hot climates get overripe and low-acid -
and usually make poor candidates for long term development, I think.

But there are many more parameters to wine making than just climate, of
course :-),
as proven by the Michigan specimens according to Bill and by many other
wines from hot or cold areas.

Anders

Anders Tørneskog wrote:
> "Mike Tommasi" <nobody@tommasi.org> skrev i melding
> news:7pv2d5FjmcU1@mid.individual.net...
>> Anders Tørneskog wrote:
>>> maybe the Michigan ones are those that need a couple more years (just
>>> guessing from a supposedly cooler climate, of course)
>> Cooler climate wines need more aging?
>>
> Look to Bordeaux... :-)

Where the torrid mediterranean years are regularly declared the vintage
of the century... :-)

> On the other hand - wines from very hot climates get overripe and low-acid -
> and usually make poor candidates for long term development, I think.

OK, but Michigan does not run that risk...

Not sure, Chateauneuf and Bandol are very hot, yet the regions have
selected grapes that mature late enough (mourvedre is the latest to
ripen), yet the good wines from these areas need long aging. Brunello
area is also absolutely torrid in summertime...


I would agree with your statement if you qualified it: "warmer climate
white wines do not need much aging" :-)

cheers Anders, havea great 2010


--
Mike Tommasi - Six Fours, France
email link http://www.tommasi.org/mymail