Wine tasting

[baggycat]

Hi - does anybody know of a website that will tell me when is the best time to drink wine? We have 4-5 bottles of wine that we brought back from Australia to 'store' but we've been 'storing' (more like abstaining from drinking!) for about 5 years now and I'm fearful they will pass their best. Clearly knowing nothing more about wine than what I like and don't like, I am lost as to when one should drink them. E.g. one of the bottles that we have that I can't find on the web is a Mount Langi Ghiran Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2001 - it must have been nice when we tasted it but no idea now. Any pointers would help thanks.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Normally find 6pm a very good time - with adjustments for the Continent, that means anytime from five is acceptable.

You could try this: Berry Bros

[womanofdulwich]

or you could e mail the producers. it does depend how well you store it too. We did the same as you - but asked when we bought the wine and they advised 2 years- it was lovely.:)-D

[PinkLady]

The Wine Society (http://www.the winesociety.com) has a vintage chart on their website, but that only applies to European wines. However I had a browse through their Australian reds, and the oldest wine they're currently offering is a 2002 vintage, which was a Cabernet Shiraz Merlot retailing at ?16 a bottle to be drunk between now and 2012.

My suggestion would be to open a bottle now and see what you think. :D

Enjoy!

[legalbeagle]

Baggycat - pop into Green & Blue on a Saturday (I am one of the owners) and ask for Kate, and tell her about the wine. She is incredibly knowledgeable and will be able to tell you what you should do.

[Brendan]

I don?t know much about wine but a bit of received wisdom from South Africa that I remember (and seems to work) is that Cabernet Sauvignon should be left for at least 10 but never more than 20 year. Not sure if it make a difference if it is mixed with Merlot though.

[Loz]

womanofdulwich Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> or you could e mail the producers. it does depend

> how well you store it too. We did the same as you

> - but asked when we bought the wine and they

> advised 2 years- it was lovely.:)-D

For Australia (and most new world wines) this is the best advice. In France, most appellations are quite small areas and so the vintage chart works. Not so in Oz. It depends entirely on the winemaker. They are the best to advise you.

Also, unless you have had them in a cellar or somewhere very that's dark and a constant 10-15 degrees they probably want drinking ASAP.

[Mrs Nicklin]

Hi there,

When to drink wine depends on so many things! I've been working with wine for the last few years, selling it, buying it and now running courses in it! Why don't you PM me with the details of your 4-5 bottles and I'll let you know what I think?

I need as many of the following bits of info as possible:

Year (vintage), Grape Variety, Appellation (place it comes from) and country.. and any other info on the label that you think would be useful!

This is quite an old message, so I'll PM you as well...

just moved to the area and am setting up my own wine events company. If you're interested, watch this space! www.winebird.co.uk

[Mick Mac]

baggycat Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi - does anybody know of a website that will tell

> me when is the best time to drink wine? We have

> 4-5 bottles of wine that we brought back from

> Australia to 'store' but we've been 'storing'

> (more like abstaining from drinking!) for about 5

> years now and I'm fearful they will pass their

> best. Clearly knowing nothing more about wine than

> what I like and don't like, I am lost as to when

> one should drink them. E.g. one of the bottles

> that we have that I can't find on the web is a

> Mount Langi Ghiran Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2001

> - it must have been nice when we tasted it but no

> idea now. Any pointers would help thanks.

In my opinion - Australian wine is not worth keeping more than one night.

If you have some nice food, def dont ruin the experience by drinking aussie wine with it. ;-)

Some friends of ours were round for dinner tonight and brought some Australian win - I accidently dropped it and it spilt everywhere, had to drag some french out to rescue the situation - of course i was soo apologetic about the oz stuff.

[Loz]

Mick Mac Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> In my opinion - Australian wine is not worth

> keeping more than one night.

>

> If you have some nice food, def dont ruin the

> experience by drinking aussie wine with it. ;-)

>

> Some friends of ours were round for dinner tonight

> and brought some Australian win - I accidently

> dropped it and it spilt everywhere, had to drag

> some french out to rescue the situation - of

> course i was soo apologetic about the oz stuff.

Your *really* need to buy something better that Jacob's Creek, you know...

[Mick Mac]

I don't buy it - people bring it, Loz.

[Loz]

Send 'em round to me, then. Mmmmmm.