Best Wine Cellars In Fort Worth TX: 4 Traits Of Wines That Age Well

The best wine cellars in Fort Worth TX are stocked with a variety of wines, most meant to be drunk sooner rather than later.  The fact that most wine is meant to be drunk in the first year after purchase comes as a surprise to many people, especially to people who dream of owning a wine cellar filled with dusty bottles of hundred-year-old vintages that will someday pay for their children’s education.  Unfortunately for those budding wine investors, most winemakers make wine that really doesn’t age well - and isn’t meant to.  So if you’re just starting your collection, how do you know which wines you should plan on holding onto for a while?  Look for wines that have these four traits:

1 - Wine Cellar In Fort Worth TX:  Acidity

As wine gets older, it tends to lose acidity and the taste becomes flatter and not at all what the winemaker intended.  That’s why wines, especially Bordeaux, that are highly acidic hold onto their flavors better over the long haul and the reason for that is that acidity mitigates oxidation.  Corks degrade and shrink over time, allowing more air into the bottle.  This oxidation changes the flavor, aroma and appearance of the wine - often making it undrinkable.  Though cellaring bottles for long periods of time is usually associated with red wines, there are some whites that are acidic enough to be cellared, like German Rieslings and white Burgundies.

2 - Home Wine Cellar In Fort Worth TX:  Tannin

Tannins are a category of chemicals that come from grape seeds and skin.  They give the wine a somewhat bitter or astringent taste that can make your mouth feel dry.  Like acids, tannins tend to limit oxidation in wine, which makes high-tannin wines better for long storage.  The upside to cellaring these high-tannin wines for a long period of time is that the tannins tend to soften as wine ages, removing some of the bitter taste.

3 - Best Wine Cellars In Fort Worth TX:  Alcohol Level

Alcohol is a volatile component of wine and, over time, can turn wine to vinegar.  Generally, the lower the alcohol level, the longer the wine will last.  The easiest way to check for alcohol levels, which you may not be able to taste, is to check the wine label.  Look for a wine with an ABV (alcohol by volume) of 13.5% or less.  

4 - Home Wine Cellar In Fort Worth TX:  Residual Sugar

Residual sugars are the sugars left over after fermentation has stopped and they are an important component in successfully aging your wine.  In fact, sweet wines like port, sherry, and Sauternes tend to last the longest time.  Residual sugars can also counterbalance the dryness of most wines cellared for years and give the wine a more complex flavor.

So why cellar wine at all?  Because every bottle, even one meant to be drunk right away, needs to be stored in optimal conditions until it’s opened. The way to get a wine cellar or wine room that will be the perfect storage environment for your new - and old - bottles of wine is to call us at Vineyard Wine Cellars at (866) 615-4008.  At Vineyard Wine Cellars, we design, construct and install the best wine cellars in Fort Worth TX and we’d love to build one for you.  Visit us online at www.vineyardwinecellars.com to learn more about our process.