Will Your Favorite Wine Last…100 Years?

Will Your Favorite Wine Last…100 Years?

Have you ever wondered just how long your favorite unopened bottle of wine would last?

Yes, I know, wines are made to be enjoyed. Most of us finish off our favorite bottle of wine in a couple of days. What we’re talking about here is the potential that is built into your favorite wine. Did the winemaker that made your favorite wine turn on all the switches that would give it a 100 year life span? Or, did he/she leave a few critical switches in the off position?

With this Blog, we’re going to answer this question and, hopefully, convince you that a wines potential age really does matter.

 

We’ll begin our journey by stepping back into history to 100 years ago, to the year…”1914”! In that year, all wines were being made to be the best that they could be. A wine produced in 1914 had all the switches turned on. A 1914 vintage wine had the potential to last 100 years!

Unfortunately, most wines produced today do not have the potential to last 100 years. Most wines produced today have a life expectancy of only 2 to 4 years.

So, what has happened to our modern wine making process that has shortened our wines life expectancy to a puny 2 to 4 years?

The answer is…”the wine making Process’ has changed!

Most of our modern wines are…’Filtered’ wines.

Most of the wines produced for most of our history as human beings on earth (including 1914) were…’Unfiltered” wines.

Any winery in America or around the world that is producing “Unfiltered” wines will ‘Always’ tell you on their label that their wine is “Unfiltered”. They are proud of the wines that they produce and want you to know that they are ‘Unfiltered’!!

Any winery that produces a ‘Filtered’ wine will ‘Never’ tell you on their label that their wines have been filtered.

There are other indicators of a wine’s longevity. Take a look at ‘How’ your wine is sealed. A wine sealed with genuine ‘sealing wax’ implies that that wine will be around for a very long time. Sealing wax actually seals and bonds to the glass neck of the wine bottle. The wine content inside the wine bottle is protected from the world outside. A wine bottle that is topped with plastic or aluminum foil is designed to ‘look-like’ and to ‘simulate’ the real sealing wax.

The actual package that your wine comes in can be an indicator of your wines longevity. A glass wine bottle can last 1 million years and is inert and unaffected by the world around it. Many of our ‘factory wineries’ have begun packaging their wines in composite boxes and plastic containers. Their packaging is not designed to last 1 million years.

The cork used to seal your wine bottle is an excellent indicator of your wines longevity. For most of our history of wine making throughout the world, the finest wines were corked with ‘real’ and natural cork corks! A real and natural cork will protect the wine inside your wine bottle for, at least, 30 to 35 years. Today, many factory wineries have dumped the natural cork closures in favor of the far cheaper ‘plastic’ corks made from oil.

Perhaps, the most important factor in determining your wines longevity is the wine itself! In America, by law, every winery must tell you how your wine was made. Look closely at your wines label. Does it read…”Grown, Produced, Vinted and Bottled”…or does it only read ‘Produced & Bottled’ or ‘Vinted & Bottled’? Only two words usually indicates that your wine was made from ‘juices’ and NOT “Whole Fresh Fruit”! If only two words are used, you should contact your winery and ask them where the juices came from that made your wine. If they become evasive or refuse to answer your question, you should seek another wine supplier.

So, where does your wine fall. Did your wine maker turn on all the switches, or, were a few critical switches left in the off position?

You are entitled to a perfect glass of wine every time! You are, also, entitled to a wine that is made to be the best that it can be! Potential longevity really does matter!! Choose wisely my friend!!

Until next time…”Salute and Happy Days”