Which wines get better with age, and can they survive a flat?
A Barolo at 79 francs will be a better wine in five years than it is today. A Pinot Grigio at 20 francs will be past its best. How to tell which bottle rewards the wait, which four enemies can ruin it in a single summer, and where it survives in a flat.
First, the reassurance
Nine out of ten wines are drunk within two years of purchase, and that's what they're made for. A Pinot Grigio, a rosé, a young Merlot gain nothing from ageing. If that's what you have, you don't need a cellar, just a spot where they won't spoil.
It's different with structured wines: Barolo, Amarone, Riesling, Bordeaux, Beerenauslese. These keep for five to twenty years and improve while they do. For these, a little effort is worthwhile.
The four enemies
Heat. From 25 degrees, wine ages in fast-forward; from 30 degrees, it turns within weeks. The spot next to the stove, above the fridge or on the windowsill is the worst place in a flat. Ideal is 10 to 15 degrees, but a constant 18 is better than a fluctuating 14.
Light. UV light destroys aromas, especially in white and sparkling wine in clear bottles. That's why most wine bottles are green or brown. A cupboard or a drawer solves the problem.
Fluctuation. A wine that swings between 16 and 24 degrees every day suffers more than one held at a constant 20. The liquid expands and contracts, the cork works loose, air gets in.
Dryness. Only relevant for natural cork and only over years of storage: if the cork dries out, it shrinks. That's why bottles are stored lying down. With a screw cap, it doesn't matter.
The best spot in a flat
A cupboard against an interior wall, away from the heating, the stove and the window. The bedroom is often the coolest room. A cellar compartment in an apartment building is almost always better than any corner of the flat, even if it reaches 20 degrees in summer.
Anyone who regularly wants to store wine over years should buy a wine fridge. Models holding 30 bottles start at around 300 francs and hold a constant 12 degrees. That's not a gimmick, it's the only method that works reliably in a warm flat.
What you can safely leave for three to five years
- Barolo El Pì Bon, CHF 79.00: improves with every year, at least ten years of potential.
- Angelo DiVino Amarone Riserva, CHF 99.90: powerful enough for ten years and more.
- Grand Augustin Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, CHF 65.00: classic Bordeaux, five to eight years.
- Pieroth Grosses Gewächs Riesling, CHF 34.90: Riesling lives on its acidity and keeps for ten years without difficulty.
- Beerenauslese Grand Reserve, CHF 34.90: sweet wine is the longest-lived wine of all.
Opened bottles
Sealed, into the fridge, even red wine. White wine keeps three to five days that way, red two to three, sparkling wine one day with a sparkling-wine stopper. Vacuum pumps make little difference. Best is to decant the rest into a smaller bottle, so less air sits above it.
