Video “Wine improves with age” – myth or reality? on my YouTube channel.
Let’s talk about wine aging and how it relates to wine quality. Should we pay attention to the vintage year on the label? When is a wine worth storing, and when is it better to drink it as soon as practical? Here, we’re talking specifically about the aging of bottled wine, which is no longer undergoing any winemaking intervention.
As with many things in our not-so-black-and-white world, the idea in the title—“Wine only gets better with age”—is neither entirely true nor entirely false. Even if we rephrase it to “A good wine only improves with age,” it would still be only partly correct.
Yes, some wines do evolve and improve over decades. In rare cases, a few can do so for as long as a century. At the same time, there are wines where the cork is better off never sealing the bottle—their flavor quality starts to decline almost immediately after bottling. All other wines fall somewhere along the spectrum between these two extremes.
In fact, in the world of modern winemaking, only about 5–10% of wines improve after even a single year of storage. And only about 1% continue to improve after 5 to 10 years.
A wine’s aging potential depends on several factors: the grape variety used; the weather conditions in the harvest year; the region of production; the winemaking techniques employed; and, of course, the storage conditions.
What exactly is the aging of bottled wine from a chemical point of view?
Wine, besides water and alcohol, contains sugars, acids, and a variety of phenolic compounds—including pigments, tannins, and aromatic molecules. These components slowly interact with one another over time, leading to the breakdown of some molecules and the formation of new ones. Oxygen, both trapped under the cork and gradually passing through it (unless the wine is sealed with an airtight screw cap—more about closures; more about bottle closers and their roles in wine lifehere), plays a major role in this transformation. It oxidizes the wine’s organic compounds, leading to noticeable changes in taste and aroma. While the exact chemistry of wine aging is not fully understood, and the final result depends on many shifting variables, several key processes that are important for understanding how wine evolves in the bottle has been already uncovered.
One of the most visually obvious changes is in the wine’s color.
Red wine, which starts out with a deep red-violet hue in its youth, gradually loses the violet component as it ages. It becomes lighter and redder, and over time, takes on a brownish tint. This is due to the oxidation and aggregation of phenolic compounds—primarily tannins and pigments. These compounds eventually form larger aggregates that are heavy enough to precipitate out of the wine, resulting in a loss of color intensity. This sediment is completely harmless, but it can be unpleasant when drinking, so it’s usually removed through decanting. Because tannins precipitate along with pigments, the wine also becomes softer and less astringent. The softening is not only from the loss of tannins but also from the oxidation of those that remain in solution.
White wine, although naturally lower in pigments and tannins, also changes color as it ages. It goes from pale yellow to golden, then amber, and finally to brown. As in red wine, these changes result from the oxidation of phenolic compounds.
That’s why, over time, very old red and white wines often develop a similar brown color.
Another important change that occurs with aging is related to acidity. Although the acid molecules in wine do not break down over time, they undergo esterification—that is, they form esters with ethanol molecules. This process reduces the perceived acidity of the wine and also introduces new flavors, since many esters are aromatic compounds.
The aromatic profile of the wine also changes. The pronounced fruity aromas found in young wines gradually fade, and this happens quite quickly—in fact, after just six months, wine begins to significantly lose its fresh fruit notes. However, over time, new aromatic notes develop—thanks to the formation of complex esters, oxidation of certain compounds, and hydrolysis of various aromatic precursors. A well-known example for Riesling lovers is 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (TDN), a compound derived from carotenoids, which gives aged Riesling its distinctive petrol note. I discussed this in detail in the article about Riesling.
So, with aging, a wine’s taste becomes softer in terms of tannins and acidity, while becoming richer, more complex, and full-bodied in flavor. But! For all of these changes to actually enrich and enhance the wine, the components that undergo these transformations must be present in the first place, and in sufficient amounts. If a wine starts off with low acidity, it may simply become flat over time. If it has too few tannins—especially in red wines—it will lose structure as it ages. If it lacks precursor molecules that produce the secondary and tertiary aromas of aged wine, then once the fruity aromas fade, nothing will replace them, and the wine will just lose its character.
So, the key conditions for successful aging are: high tannin content (especially for reds); high acidity (especially for whites, which lack tannins); a rich concentration of aromatic compounds. This combination depends mostly on the grape variety, the region where the grapes are grown, and the characteristics of the harvest year (since weather conditions vary greatly from year to year and have a strong impact on wine chemistry). After that, almost everything depends on the winemaker. Of course, the wine must also be stored properly for aging to be successful. So, it’s no coincidence that the aging potential of certain grape varieties is described with a very wide range. For example, Riesling can age anywhere from 2 to 30 years—a rather dramatic difference, to say the least.
What are the life stages of bottled wine?
The life of wine in the bottle isn’t simple or linear—it follows a curved progression.
The figure shows approximate curves of some wine development.
Immediately after bottling, the taste of the wine is not at its best. Wine is a delicate substance, and all the handling and transferring—from tank or barrel into the bottle—can disrupt its balance. During bottling, the wine is also exposed to a significant amount of oxygen, which triggers oxidation. Even though modern winemakers try to bottle under gentle conditions, often using inert gas to minimize oxygen contact, this can’t completely prevent the effect. As a result, the wine may go through a phase known as bottle shock—a temporary condition where the wine loses its normal character and becomes dull or muted.
Because of this, wine is usually not released for sale immediately after bottling. It needs time to recover. How long? That depends on the wine—usually several weeks. For example, Champagne is left to rest for six months after final corking. Of course, Champagne isn’t bottled in the conventional way before that—its bottling happens before the second fermentation. But after disgorgement (the process of removing sediment), even Champagne needs time to recover. Disgorgement is also a shock to the wine.
So, right after bottling, any improvement in taste is not due to maturation, but rather to recovery from bottle shock. Still, it’s an important phase in the life of a wine worth remembering.
Incidentally, bottle shock doesn’t only occur after bottling. If the wine has been shaken during transportation, it can experience shock as well—especially older wines, which tolerate shaking less well. In such cases, it’s best to let the wine rest quietly for a few days. It will recover.
Once the wine has recovered from shock, it enters a more stable stage of its life. If it has any aging potential, its taste will gradually improve until it reaches its peak. The more aging potential the wine has, the longer and smoother this journey to its peak will be.
However, there’s a nuance worth knowing. Some high-quality, long-aging wines—Bordeaux, for instance, or Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley—go through a temporary decline in taste somewhere along the way to their peak. A young wine in this category typically shows bold tannins, vibrant fruit, and a strong aroma—robust but flavorful. At its peak, the same wine will display soft tannins and a complex, nuanced aroma. But in the middle of that journey, the wine may go through a “dumb phase”, which can last for a year or more. During this time, it may lose much of its aroma, and the flavor may become muted and less enjoyable. This doesn’t mean the wine has declined permanently. It’s not the beginning of senescence—it’s part of a rebuilding phase. The wine is simply restructuring its components. All you need to do is wait. In Bordeaux, this awkward period is sometimes referred to as “âge ingrat”—or “difficult age”, a reference to human adolescence.
There is a plateau after the peak, when the wine holds its best flavor for a period of time. Again, this duration varies depending on the wine. Eventually, the wine enters a phase of gradual but irreversible decline in taste quality. A wine that hasn’t yet reached its best is considered young. A wine at its best—at peak. And a wine that has begun to lose its character is simply old. As with other stages, these transitions don’t happen suddenly—they’re gradual. The longer the wine takes to age, the smoother the transitions tend to be.
British wine specialist Clive Coates formulated what’s known as Coates’ Law of Maturity. According to this principle, wine remains at its peak for as long as it took to get there. So if a wine reaches peak flavor at 10 years, it should stay on the plateau for another 10. It’s important to note that this rule is generally applicable only to wines that age over a long time. If a wine reaches its peak in just 1 to 3 years, it will usually start to decline more quickly. Still, there are exceptions to every rule—even among long-aging wines, there are those that don’t follow this pattern closely.
Some wines technologically are made in such a way that all the aging takes place before the final corking, so by the time they reach the market, they are fully ready for consumption. There is no point in storing them in hopes of improving their taste—on the contrary, the wine may start to deteriorate. This applies to sparkling wines and fortified wines, such as Sherry, Madeira, Port, and others. Most of these wines require aging, and sometimes very long aging, but that process happens before bottling. Of course, as usual, every rule has its exceptions. Some vintage and premium champagnes can be aged for 20 to 30 years, and some vintage Ports may not reach their peak even after 20 years.
There are also wines designed to be consumed immediately after fermentation, without any storage. A perfect example is Beaujolais Nouveau, made from the Gamay grape. It reaches its peak just three months after fermentation ends. More about Beaujolais Nouveau can be read in a separate article. Of course, this applies not only to Beaujolais but to all nouveau wines.
Rosés, in general, are also made to be enjoyed young. Their charm lies in the freshness and brightness of their fruity aroma. Their peak falls within the first year, so with very few exceptions, rosé wines are best consumed within the first two years. By the way, the aging potential of a rosé can often be guessed by its color intensity. According to the most common rosé production method, before fermentation begins, the juice is briefly macerated with the skins to transfer some pigment into the wine. In some cases, even the initial stage of fermentation occurs in contact with the skins. Along with pigment, tannins—which support aging—also pass into the wine. So, as a rule of thumb, the darker the rosé, the longer it can retain its taste qualities. Good examples of such structured rosés include Rhone Tavel, Bordeaux Clairet, and Spanish Clarete . They age well for 3 to 4 years, unlike their paler counterparts.
Today, most inexpensive wines are made to be consumed right away. After one or two years, their taste quality begins to decline. This applies primarily to white wines and light, low-tannin red wines such as Gamay, Lambrusco, Portugieser, Tarrango, and simple Pinot Noir.
Wines made from high-tannin varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Xinomavro, can retain their quality for up to four years, even in mass-market production. So, wines like American boxed wines, European table wines, and branded products like Yellow Tail, Mouton Cadet, and other affordable mass-market labels should not be stored. Their taste will not improve—in fact, quite the opposite.
With higher-quality wines, things aren’t so straightforward.
On average, the better the wine, the more different components it contains, and the longer those components interact with each other and with oxygen, the more complex the result becomes. Typically, aging is beneficial for such wines, and they are usually released to the market before reaching their peak. However, the time it takes to reach that peak varies greatly from wine to wine. A simplified rule says: the more tannins (for red wines) or the higher the acidity (for white wines), the longer the aging period required. This means that both grape variety and growing region determine a wine’s aging potential and whether it needs to age at all. Some winemaking techniques—such as oak aging, or limited skin contact for white wines—are designed to influence taste, and also introduce additional tannins, which in turn increase the wine’s aging potential.
A rough rule of thumb: the higher the wine’s quality, the more it benefits from aging.
However, even top-quality wines made from certain grape varieties are actually better when young.
A good example is Viognier wines—such as Condrieu from the Northern Rhône. These wines have low acidity and an intense but delicate floral-fruity aroma. As they age, that aroma fades, and the wine becomes dull. Unless it’s made from old vines or is a late-harvest wine, even the best Viogniers should be enjoyed within the first year.
The same applies to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc—its first year is its best. It shares the same basic flavor profile with Viognier, and suffers from the same loss of aroma over time. Most New World Sauvignon Blancs follow this pattern. However, Sauvignon Blanc from its French birthplace—the Loire Valley (like Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé)—has high acidity and can improve with a couple of years in the bottle.
What about red wines?
In general, red wines made from Pinot Noir, Grenache, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Pinotage, Tempranillo, and Merlot require less time to age. Their peak typically comes within eight years. Wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Tannat, and Xinomavro require much more time. For example, top-quality Bordeaux (like Pomerol, Saint-Émilion), Barolo, Barbaresco, and Rioja often need at least 10 years—sometimes even 15 to 20 years—to reach their peak.
Many people believe that only red wines benefit from aging, and that aging is bad for white wines. That’s not true. Aging can open up white wines just like it does red wines—again, it all depends on variety and place.
High-quality German Rieslings reach their peak after 5 to 20 years. Alsace Rieslings peak in 3 to 12 years. However, don’t try to age Californian Rieslings—New World heat kills the high acidity that Rieslings need to age well. The result is a dull, flat wine. Hungarian Tokaji and French Sauternes also benefit from 5 to 20 years of aging. Other whites that age well include White Burgundy, dry white Bordeaux, Chablis, and Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley—but not most New World Chardonnays.
Speaking of regions: in general, Old World wines require more time to age than New World wines. This applies to both red and white wines.
All this information brings us to the most important question for any wine lover: When will this exact wine reach its peak? Which vintage should I look for on the market? And when should I take that bottle out of the cellar?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a definitive answer. Of course, some estimates can be made, but not even the winemaker who created the wine can name the exact year.
Take Bordeaux, for example. Let’s say a top Pomerol. According to general knowledge, this wine needs 10 to 20 years to reach its peak. But the timing varies widely between different châteaux. Even within a single château, it depends heavily on the vintage. What was the weather like that year? For instance, 2005 and 2010 were excellent years for Bordeaux. Wines from those vintages need more time to mature. They taste better and will stay at their peak longer.
On average, red wine from a dry year takes longer to age. Why? Because the grapes develop thicker skins, which means more tannins. In contrast, white wines from a cool year age longer than those from a warm year, thanks to their higher acidity.
Even a single batch of wine—produced in one barrel—can age differently depending on where it ends up: different destinations, storage conditions, and shipping conditions all influence the outcome.
And let’s not forget about bottle size. There’s the standard 750 ml bottle, the half-bottle (375 ml), and the magnum (1.5 liters). Now, aging is primarily about oxidation. All bottles, regardless of size, have a similar neck volume, so the amount of oxygen available is roughly the same. This means wine in a half-bottle reaches its peak faster than in a standard bottle. In a magnum, it matures more slowly. But be careful: faster aging doesn’t mean the wine reaches the same quality in less time. Not at all. It just means that it hits its maximum, and then starts declining sooner. Generally, the longer the path to the peak, the richer and more complete the flavor becomes. So, long aging is a plus.
In short: a good vintage and a larger bottle are both advantages.
Now, how do professionals check the level of maturity in a wine? Through regular tastings. Once a year—or every two or three years, depending on how long the wine is expected to age—one bottle from the batch is opened and tasted.
Some time ago, Franck Thomas, “Best Sommelier of France and Europe 2000”, together with chemist and oenologist Laurent Zanon, created and patented a device called the Clef du Vin—the Wine Key. It’s a small piece of stainless steel with a special metal alloy disc soldered to the tip. According to its creators, the disc acts as a catalyst, dramatically accelerating oxidation of the wine’s tannins and acids. You dip the key into a glass of wine, and it ages the wine by one year per second. And this isn’t meant metaphorically—they claim these are precise numbers. The idea is to predict aging potential. You taste the wine while dipping the key, and when it tastes its best—that’s how many years you should age it in the cellar. The Clef du Vin is now manufactured by the French company Peugeot—yes, the kitchenware brand, not the car company—and it costs around 70 dollars. The debate over whether it really works is still ongoing. But I seriously doubt that winemakers rely on it.
Be aware that any bottle can suddenly become spoiled. TCA can occur (more about cork taint and this disaster you can read here). Or the cork might dry out and crack. Wine can be overheated during transport, or shaken too hard—again, often during shipping. There are many ways wine’s delicate nature can be harmed. And when that happens to a well-aged wine that’s close to its peak, it’s especially heartbreaking.
It’s easy to understand that the closer a high-quality wine is to its peak, the higher its price. The longer a merchant—or a person who bought the wine and keeps it in a cellar—stores the wine, the more their costs grow. There are storage costs, like the use of cellar space—after all, shelf space is limited and each year brings new wines. And there are risks: the longer the wine is kept, the higher the chance it could spoil. Every year, money is spent to store wine, and every year, risk accumulates. As a result, for the consumer, the price increases with every additional year the wine spends in the cellar.
There’s one useful nuance to know: When a wine reaches its peak—that is, it’s close to the top of its development, with its full aroma opened and still slowly improving—its price hits the maximum for that wine. But once the wine passes its peak, the price starts to drop. It’s still good (decline starts very slowly), but it needs to be sold quickly before it begins to deteriorate.
The drop isn’t dramatic, of course, but it’s there.
You can also build your own wine collection, aging wines yourself until they reach their peak.
Whether you’re a collector or not, many of us end up keeping wine for a long enough time. So how do you store wine properly?
Wine loves to lie down in a dark, cool, slightly humid place—like a toad in hibernation.
Prolonged exposure to bright light isn’t good. Light catalyzes biochemical reactions, especially bad for sparkling wines.
The ideal storage temperature is between 10–13°C (50–55°F), but a range from 7–18°C (44–65°F) is still acceptable.
The perfect place is a deep, stone cellar under the house. But how many of us have that? I wish I did—but no such luck. Another good option is a temperature-controlled space: A wine fridge, or a room with air conditioning. They can be expensive and use electricity. Or, you can rent space in a facility specialized for wine storage.
Otherwise, choose the coolest room in your home.
The worst thing for wine is temperature fluctuations. It’s better to have a slightly higher but stable temperature than one that swings up and down. So, places like sheds, balconies, or kitchens—where temperatures shift constantly—are the worst options.
Temperatures above 35°C (95°F) are disastrous for wine. If your home turns into a sauna—say, you live in Texas, and your AC breaks—save your wine immediately.Drink it or put it in the fridge. Even 4°C (39°F) is not ideal, but it’s much better than 35°C.
The higher the temperature, the faster the oxidation and therefore the quicker the wine matures. That usually means a drop in quality, but it also means the wine will reach its peak and start to fade sooner. Keep that in mind.
Wine doesn’t tolerate freezing or boiling—never subject it to either.
Humidity is also crucial for the cork. If the cork dries and cracks, it spells death for the wine. For the same reason, wine should be stored horizontally, so the wine keeps the cork moist.
Store your favorite wines properly, and they’ll reward you generously!
And finally, let’s talk a little about artificial aging of wine.
People are impatient creatures. We want everything here and now. We want to drink great wine, but we don’t want to wait years for it to reach its peak. On top of that, long-term storage means extra costs and greater risk of spoilage. So, there have always been efforts to artificially age wine—ideally, with results as good as natural aging.
Even the ancient Romans tried this. They placed wine in smoke chambers over fireplaces, hoping that the smoke would improve the flavor and speed up the aging process.
Today, modern winemakers have greatly expanded the range of techniques. There’s micro-oxygenation, originally developed to soften the extremely harsh tannins of grapes like Tannat. There’s heating, a traditional part of Madeira wine production. Some even submerge bottles in the depths of the sea, using pressure as a tool for maturation. Wines have been exposed to radiation, ultrasound, magnetic fields, even high-voltage electric currents—all in pursuit of mimicking what time naturally does.
But so far, nothing has succeeded in replacing the magic of good old-fashioned aging. Time remains the only proven master of transformation in the world of wine.
