Not all wines are created equal! Some wines, such as Sauvignon Blanc and other white wines, are best suited for drinking soon after purchase, while other wines are prime for long-term cellaring for 20 years or more. Better quality wines are also better suited for long-term cellaring.

Quality is key

Wine does in fact get better with age; but the wine must be a good wine to begin with. Poor quality wine will forever remain poor. There is no amount of aging that can improve wines that are unbalanced, flawed or generally unappealing to personal taste. Therefore, when choosing wines to cellar, select only high quality wines.

Of course, a great wine can however easily turn into a bad wine if the cellaring conditions of temperature, humidity and insulation are not met.

Best wines for cellaring

Generally, red wines are better suited to cellaring than white wines.

White Wines

Chardonnay and Riesling are two whites that are well suited to medium- to long-term cellaring. Both will develop greater complexity with 5 to 10 years of careful cellaring.

Sauvignon Blanc, on the other hand, is not suited for cellaring. It is best consumed soon after purchase as aging does not benefit it in any way.

Red Wines

Good quality red wines are best suited to longer-term cellaring. Cabernets are particularly good wines for cellaring. They contain a significant amount of tannin, which is an organic compound with antioxidant and preservation qualities. Tannin is usually found in the stems, seeds and skin of grapes.

Using online resources for inspiration

Online wine directories are also a great source of information about which wines to collect. In Australia for example, the James Halliday Wine Companion provides information on hundreds of wines, with wine tasting notes amounting to over 50,000. Especially for the individual new to wine collecting, this is a great place to start learning about the different wines available on the market.