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In article >, says...
>
>I would like to give a wedding gift of wines to be opened on the first,
>tenth and twenty-fifth anniversary for the couple. Any suggestions of some
>inexpensive ( red or white ) wines to give?

First, there are a few considerations: Where are you located? What is the
couple's taste in wine? What do you mean by inexpensive? Do you want these
gifts now, or later, to reflect the vintage of the wine and the marriage?

For the first year anniversary, whites that are released in the year of the
marriage (though gifted upon release) will work fine. It's 2005 and I'm
drinking some 2004 Sauvignon Blancs. The 2005 harvest will not start for some
months, with many of these wines being released late in 2005. See the possible
problem there?

Now, some white Burgundies will last for 5-10 easily, but will not be released
for some time. They also tend to be more expensive than, say US/CA
Chardonnays. Some US/CA Chards will easily last 5, and a very few might go for
the 10 year mark, but this is pot luck. Those with the potential will also
cost more. Good German Rieslings will easily last 10, and some 20+ years, but
again, these are not inexpensive.

As for 25 years, well you have Cabs, some Merlots, Bordeaux blends, and the
bigger reds from Italy, Spain, and of course red Burgundies. The ones with
aging potential will not be inexpensive, and will probably not be released
until some years after the wedding. There are the Ports, Madeiras, Tokays,
Sauternes, and the German "late harvest" whites. These could easily last for
several generations, but again, are not inexpensive.

Now, if you don't care about the vintage coinciding with the year of the
wedding, it is far more simple. I'd opt for this, or for maybe giving a wine/
wines for the one year anniversary, then at, say five years, giving a Port
FROM the vintage of their wedding (provided that a vintage is declared). This
would be the 20-25 year wine. You might also give a Cab, Bdx blend, Rioja,
Barolo, red Burgundy, from a previous vintage, for the intermediate
anniversaries.

As an example, I gave friends a Taylor Fladgate 1985 Port (the year of their
marriage, though IIRC released in the US in 1989) in 1990 for the five year
anniversary. We plan on drinking it this year for their 20th. I was lucky, as
1985 was a declared vintage for most Port houses, and though it never lived up
to its potential (according to the wine-press), it is still a very good
Vintage Port.

Sorry to possibly spoil what seems like a simple idea and a wonderful gift,
but there are tons of variables -- not to mention how the couple might store
the wine. Once you get past the first anniversary the problem compounds
exponentially.

Hunt