Do all wines improve with age?

Question

I found a lot of bottles of wine in my grandmother's apartment after she passed away, all from before she was told not to drink it (around 1990 I believe). Are all wines safe to drink after years of storage, or should I be wary of drinking some of them?

Answer 1

Most wines will improve with age though some wines such as beaujolais are meant to be drunk young.

Answer 2

Sounds like you will have to go by taste test.  I make an elderberry wine that taste terrible the first year and the second year is beautifully.

Answer 3

Some wines age well, others do not. Open the bottle you're interested in. If it smells bad skunky or tastes bad, pitch it. There is nothing in them that could harm you.

Answer 4

No - I for instance am not a wine - but after 58 years, they do not all complain about the tannins

Answer 5

They will all be "safe" but some of them are probably over the hill.  Most wines made in America today are meant to be consumed more or less when purchased.  They don't require aging like wines of old.  Every bottle will be different.  Some may be fine, some may be way past.  

The past ones will be brownish in color and have the flavor of dried fruit/prunes.  You'll know on the first sip, or even sooner.  They won't hurt you, but you won't want to drink them.

Answer 6

good wines improve with age...bad wines dont

Answer 7

try googling the wine and be sure to include the year. wine.com will have the reviews of most wines so search there too. some wines are for early drinking "beaujolais nuevo" for example is only good to me young and it is very very good wine but only for a few monthes and then it's no good. some wines are better a few years after their vintage. i have a bottle of "concannon pinot noir" that i know i should age a year longer before i drink it. the age will help with smoothness. other wines if properly stored are great for the decades. really it just depends. if your grandma stored her wine on their side. i imagine some of them will be very good. if not then the corks probably dried out and air could ruin them. but i wish ya good times tasting them and wish i was there to try them with you too.

Answer 8

Generally speaking white wines are good for about 2 - 4 years.  Red wines improve with age, providing they are stored correctly.  They should lying on their sides so the cork stays wet and in a place with constant temperature of approximately room temperature - actually cooler is better (50-60 degree range).  Not all reds store well, but if you've got some 15 year old Merlots or Cabernets - they could turn out to be fantastic.

Worst thing that will happen is they turn into vinegar.  You will be able to tell by smell or small taste if they are bad.

Answer 9

"Are all wines safe to drink after years of storage, or should I be wary of drinking some of them?"

Yes, all wines are safe. Wine, beer and liquor have nothing in them that can harm you even after they have expired.

The problem you will run into is will they taste good. Not all wine and beers are created equal. For example, I myself age beer and some I've aged for years (5 personally, but 19 is the oldest I've had the pleasure of).  I've had beers turn out great after 3 years, better than fresh. I've also had a few that went south and were undrinkable after only 12 months.

Same thing goes for wines.  Some will age great and some will not... and there is no way to tell which ones will and which ones won't. Not price, not vintage, not vineyard.

The good news is that NOTHING IN IT CAN HURT YOU. Open it up. Give it a pour. Take a sniff. If it smells OK give it a sip. Hold it in your mouth for a moment. If it taste OK... swallow and have some more.

I'm going to assume they've been stored correctly and won't get into that.