Wine aging, what, why and how, is probably the most mysterious and confusing thing about this whole subject of wine. It's important to start by saying that it's almost impossible to generalize because the wine itself is somewhat unpredictable and optimum drink-ability is subjective.

Most Wines are Best When They're Young
Contrary to popular belief, most wines aren't made for aging, they're made for drinking. This should be good news, because most of us don't want to store wine in the first place. We Americans are notorious for aging our wines in the back seat of the car on the way home, and in many cases, that's the best way to approach it.

Most wines are fresh and simple in style, and are at their best when they're young. Here in the Napa Valley and in some other highly regarded winegrowing regions of the world, there are wines made with very good aging potential. Most of the time, these are red wines, but there are numerous exceptions.

The best advice for anyone is to ask questions when you're buying wine. Don't be shy! When you have questions, it can be worth a few dollars extra to buy your wine at a wine specialty shop, where the staff is knowledgeable.

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