"Ramon F Herrera" wrote ......

> Despite being completely partial to red wine, I have been known
> to enjoy a glass of white from time to time.
> It is my understanding that when it comes to red, normally,
> "the older, the better" rule applies.
>
> But what about white wine and age?

Ramon, by far the greater volume of the worlds wine production, white, red
and otherwise is not made for aging to any degree.

One can take a "vin ordinaire" and age it for 5; 10; 20 years and it will
still be average at best, but more probably average vinegar.

So, "the older, the better" applies only to wines of quality, which are made
to "go the distance" and this applies equally to white and red.

Yes, there are magnificent red wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy and the
Rhone; from Italy and California and Australia which people lovingly store
and enjoy decades later.

Likewise, Riesling (from several regions in Germany and Alsace); Chenin
Blanc (good Vouvray is virtually immortal); Semillon from the Hunter Valley
in Australia are renowned for their longevity. I have enjoyed vintage
Champagne 40 years in the bottle; Grüner Veltliner from Austria is said to
age very well; white Bordeaux from Graves can be a joy cellared for 30-40
years.

Wonderful white Burgundy (Le Montrachet, Corton Charlemagne, and the
Meursault 1er Crus) is 100% chardonnay; carefully cellared are wonderful
decades after bottling.

Sweet whites; Sauternes, late-harvest Rieslings, and Tokaji (and even some
of their New World equivalents) - can age and improve for years
(centuries!!!)

The list of ageworthy whites is just as long as a list of reds.

I once read that the oldest, still-living wine ever tasted was not red but
was a German Riesling from the 1540 vintage. It was tasted in 1961, after
420 years, and had not yet perished

--

st.helier