Cellaring Fine Wine

Much of the wine sold today is designed to be consumed in the weeks, days and even hours after purchase. Today's everyday wine is well-made, full of character and highly enjoyable, offering the qualities of youth - freshness, clean fruit aromas and mouthfilling flavours.

A small number of wines, however, improve with age, offering more enjoyment in maturity than when young. The wines will usually be closely associated with a particular regional style, a village or even an individual vineyard. Such wines develop complexity of bouquet, flavour and texture over time, becoming more and more refined. They will usually appreciate in value too. These are fine wines.

Fine wine is not in a hurry. The purchase of a vintage en primeur will necessitate several years of patient storage before the wine is ready to drink. Conditions of storage - ambient temperature, humidity and freedom from vibration - all contribute to the steady and successful evolution in bottle. Cellarage should take place in an environment recognised within the trade for its quality of storage.

Fine wines come mainly from the classic vineyards of Europe, but are, increasingly, coming from the New World. White wines must not be ruled out either. Certain sweet wines, those which benefit from high levels of natural grape acidity when young, have a remarkable ageing potential. While not to be considered as investments, wines such as Vouvray Moelleux, Mosel Auslese, Alsace Vendanges Tardives and Tokaji Aszú from expert producers can live for decades.