if you are talking about red country wines I must say that with all
blackberries/elderberry wines of whatever proportion of mix, it is essential
to bulk age for at least 2 years. There is a massive difference between a very
young red country wine and it older counterpart.

Just a brief visit

I also find that the red kit wines I make are considerably improved by bulk
aging for a year or so!

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk


"Joe Sallustio" > wrote in message
...
On Aug 21, 1:18 am, Jim Oakley > wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:20:40 GMT, Jim > wrote:
> >Is there such a thing as optimum aging period for red and white wine
> >and if so what is it for red wine and white wine? Thank you in
> >advance.
>
> This may not answer your question about time lines, but it's
> informative just the same...
>
> From the 30SecWineAdvisor
> (a free wine lover's page by Robin
> Garr)http://www.wineloverspage.com/index.phtml
>
> • Most wines don't age. This point is simple but often overlooked.
> Probably 99 percent of all the wines made in the world, including
> virtually all inexpensive wines, are never better than when they are
> first bottled. Only a tiny fraction are made to age, and an even
> smaller number require aging. Look to the most "noble" red grapes -
> Cabernet Sauvignon and the Bordeaux blends, Syrah and Shiraz, top
> Italian red grapes and, of course, the finer Pinot Noirs, for your
> cellar candidates. Ageworthy white wines are even more rare, although
> Riesling and Chenin Blanc and a few exceptional Chardonnays will gain
> from aging. Sweet and fortified wines, particularly Port and
> late-harvest whites like Sauternes, will also age into a golden
> maturity. But never assume that a $5 jug wine - or even a $10 "QPR"
> value - will benefit from cellaring. Chances are it won't.
>
> • Aging wines need care.. Even the most cellarworthy wines won't
> thrive if you keep them under poor conditions. The kitchen cabinet or
> other warm place is worst. A wine rack at room temperature (or a
> wine-shop rack in the open store environment) is slightly better,
> assuming horizontal storage position and air-conditioning. But for
> long-term cellaring, as we're discussing here, keeping find young
> wines for 10, 20 years or more, you must have a temperature-controlled
> cellar that holds the wines horizontally at a constant temperature
> close to 55F (13C), the approximate temperature of natural caves.
>
> • What happens when wine ages? Again assuming an ageworthy wine kept
> under excellent conditions, the primary reaction that takes place over
> time involves changes (technically, polymerization, primarily) in the
> organic compounds called tannins that occur naturally in ageable wines
> from the red grape skins and seeds as well as the oak barrels in which
> the wine may be fermented and stored. As time goes by, the wine's
> color may change a bit, taking on more brownish or golden colors or,
> among reds, sometimes becoming lighter. The youthful fruit aromas and
> flavors (sometimes called "primary") and the aroma characteristics
> associated with wine making - yeast and oak, for example - (called
> "secondary") will begin to fade somewhat, ideally remaining present
> but taking a back seat to the intriguing, complex earthy flavors
> ("tertiary"), which may evoke a wide range of attractive aromas and
> flavors from toast or leather to woodsy or s! picy scents. At the same
> time, the changes in tannins reduce or remove the rough astringency
> associated with young tannins, replacing this with a more smooth and
> mellow texture. And all this assumes that the young wine offered a
> good balance of fruit, acidity and tannins in the first place. A
> youthful wine that's out of whack and imbalanced isn't likely to
> achieve greater grace and elegance with age.

I certainly agree with the premise but I'm not sure I agree they don't
get better at all, at least with reds. People give me a lot of store
bought wine and I rarely get around to opening one for a couple
years. Oftentimes I know the wine as it's typically served and I
really can't remember ever opening one a couple years later and not
thinking it wasn't better than I expected. I'm not talking huge
improvment; just, well, rounder, nice. (I could be coloring the
judgement with my " I make this for $2 and this is good but not worth
$15 to me." attitude. )

Joe