On 11/7/2011 3:20 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
> After the first year does further aging change the taste of the wine?
>
Yes.

I've occasionally had a few bottles that got shoved to the back of the
cabinet, and not excavated until they were 7-8 years old -- and they
were excellent, much better at that age than at 1-2 years.

Generally, the longer you age wine, the better it gets, as long as you
protect it adequately against degradation. A chemical reaction takes
place between the alcohol and the various acids in the wine which
changes the acids into esters, a class of compound which is responsible
for the flavors and aromas of most foods. This reaction occurs very
slowly, and continues for years. The longer wine ages, the more complex
the flavors become, as more and different esters are formed. It's
important to protect the wine from oxidation and from degradation by
ultraviolet light, if you want to age it for any length of time. This
means using the longest, tightest, best corks you can afford; using
adequate levels of sulfite in the wine; and storing it in dark bottles
in a dark place.

I try to age mine at least two years before drinking it, and I have
found that three years is better -- although the difference between two
years and three is not as great as the difference between one year and
two. I just this weekend bottled some Shiraz that I made from fresh
juice last fall, and it's *really* good -- so I plan to wait at least
another year before I drink any more of it.