I've collected wines (red wines, port) since the mid-80s. That was when I moved down to the SF Bay area. My father lived in Novato at the time, a stone's throw from both Sears Point Raceway and the Napa and Sonoma valleys.
So weekend became visits from my job in Silicon Valley up to get to know him better and to go on pilgrimages to vineyards and winemakers. We explored quite a few of the lesser known vineyards like Mark West, and Heitz, Clos Pegas, Caymus and of course, the well-known Franciscan and Beaulieu wineries.
I joined a couple of "wine clubs" in the last ten years and have accumulated a fair number of quality red wines. I finally sat down and catalogued them last night, so that I can put them into a spreadsheet and put "drink by" dates on them. I have for years subscribed to the theory that one should let them age a bit in the bottle before drinking.
Unfortunately this has occasionally led to letting some sit too long and get past their prime. My rule of thumb is 4-5 years for a Merlot, 6-10 years for Cabernet Franc (hard to find), Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon. I was reading Robert Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide last night in an effort to refine these rules of thumb when I stumbled across some interesting ideas and some recommended wine glasses.
Parker's belief is that with most red wines produced in California today one need not lay them up for years. They can be drunk at any time after purchase with some few worthy of keeping for a couple of years.
He does urge the purchase of some good wine glasses, notably the Riedel brand Vinum Bordeaux line (for red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot).
Supposedly, the structure of the glass places the wine on the optimal point on the tongue to yield the best (truest) taste. I was somewhat sceptical of this claim until I bought a pair of these for my father for Father's Day.
We did an A-B test with a fine Merlot and damned if the taste difference wasn't quite significant. All three of us agreed. They are a tad expensive ($40) unless you are a wine enthusiast. If you are I would definitely recommend them.
Posted by artandscience at July 15, 2004 10:21 AM