In 1985, a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite was sold for $156,000 in London.

With such an old wine going for such a high price, it does make you feel that older wines are better, doesn’t it?

Sorry to say that it is not always true.

However, only 10% of the wines in the world are meant for aging and actually taste better after 5 years of aging. The other 90% of wines were not produced to be aged for more than 5 years since they were produced. For the 10% of wines that are produced for aging, they need to be kept in very specific conditions.

Just like other beverages, wine is a perishable drink and will slowly subcumb to oxidization. This is where they turn brown and taste like vinegar. There are certain characteristics that allow wine to age well. We will explore that in another article.

But for the average bottle of wine that you get from the shops, its safe to say that they are best consumed within 5 years from the year of production.

Especially for white, rose, or sparkling wines, it is best to drink them as soon as you buy them.

One more Interesting fact: even expensive wines that have a good aging potential do not get infinitely better.

The 1787 Lafite in the image above has turned to vinegar. It sold for a high price because of its ownership history, as one of it’s owners was Thomas Jefferson.

The French Cellar WineMag: click here to read more articles, terms, tips and advice!

Join our Next Wine Tasting Event

www.TheFrenchCellar.sg Your Sommelier at Home

Two nice bottles of French wines delivered at your doorstep every month with our sommelier's tasting guide.

3-star Michelin sommelier selection, 100% quality guarantee