The Wine Bottle

If there’s one thing that even the latest of wine-drinkers can state confidently it is that wine improves with age. The more you keep the bottle in the basement, the better it'll taste when you finally pull the cork and start drinking. Like most rules, it’s one that is customarily best damaged.

The period of time that you must cellar wine will depend primarily on the grape but also on the wine itself, its quality and even its vintage. If that makes things difficult, there are one or two laws that you can follow.

Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet sauvignons usually basement very well. A couple of years is mostly a good period of time to keep a cabernet sauvignon but superb wines, including those from Coonawarra in Australia, can keep for years if the vintage is right.

Riesling
Riesling grapes are utilized in some of the longest-kept white wines and can still taste lively decades after bottling. An Australian riesling will develop well over the course of approximately ten years and while they can be drunk straight away should truly be cellared for a minimum of three years.

Chardonnay
Chardonnays typically improve for about 2 or 3 years after bottling but quality is essential for this white wine. A cheap wine should really be poured right away while top-end chardonnays are prepared for drinking after no more than 3 years.

Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc wines don’t age well. Once you've reached the 2 year mark, the wine is perhaps about as good as it will get and that's almost certainly true after 5 years. The exceptions are 1 or 2 truly excellent wines but for the most part, expect to be pouring your sauvignon blanc as fast as you purchase it.

Merlot
Like sauvignon blanc, a good rule of thumb is to enjoy your merlot as fast as achievable. That's because most merlots are produced in large numbers and the majority are reasonably straightforward, the kind of wine that is not very likely to become more complicated over a period. As with other grape variations, there are always exceptions though and a great vintage can be better after 5 years and a few can cellar for as long as 25 years.

Pinot Noir
One or two pinot noirs have been seen to age well over decades but it's not something to try at home. Most will be ready for drinking as fast as they are bought and 1 or 2 might cellar well for as much as 5 years. Generally though, pinot noir wines are best drunk sooner rather than later on.

This valuable content was provided by Interesting Winesand describes How Long to Cellar Varieties of Wine

White Wines

 Having invested possibly hundreds of dollars in your latest bottle of vintage wine (ah well, we can but dream), the next important decision is region to store this prized possession? The main issue when it defining moment to storing wine is that it needs to be maintained at a cool temperature of between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius. Shoved under the bed won’t do.
 
 Many modern wines do not need to be aged over a great period of time; therefore extensive cellars are often unnecessary. Having said this, if you have the time, space and resource to excavate a cellar, your wine will surely benefit. A purpose built cellar is not normally an option for most households and so suitable alternatives must be explored.
 Ideal areas for storage include a corner of a garage, garden shed, an unused fireplace or a cupboard that is against an outside wall.
 Wherever you choose to store your wine, a few basic criteria are worth keeping in mind.
 Choose an area that is less likely to be subjected to fluctuating temperatures caused by household heating systems.
 Wines benefit from being kept in dark conditions. Although this is not always practical, wine should certainly be stored in an area that is not exposed it to direct sunlight.
 As a final point, always store your red wine bottles on their side. Corks are designed to be kept moist, so that they remain airtight and do not crumble when a corkscrew is inserted.
 Bear in mind that some wines do not benefit from being stored at all. If you have poor or no storage facilities available, consider purchasing wine that matures quickly such as most white wines or new technology reds or, possibly, a new Beaujolais.
 Move white wine as little as possible once it has been placed in storage, unless of course it is being moved into a glass!
 
 If you have a particularly special wine collection, it may be worth engaging a specialist company to store your wine for you. Good storage has been recognized as vital for many wines and as such, many companies now provide storage facilities. Of course, this does not come cheap and is best reserved for those very special bottles or for those experts who are considering selling their wine on, at a future date.
 
 Decanting is a strange word to many people. Some do not even know what it means exactly. Taking the sophistication out of it, decanting literally means pouring the wine from the bottle to a special glass container. This is done in order to expose the wine to oxygen and enrich it.
 
 What is the meaning of this process? Do all wines benefit from decanting or not? The wine experts are not in agreement. Some say wine should be decanted in order to allow it to “breathe” and develop fully before consumption. Others claim decanting does not contribute to the quality of the wine.
 
 So who is right? Well, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Decanting does seem to benefit certain wines anew than others. Height red wines, except for the very aged and some white ones would definitely benefit from decanting 1-2 hours before serving. Nascent red wines, on the other hand, which are low in tannins, light and fruity, would not avail if allowed to oxidize. There are yet wines that would actually suffer from decanting. Those are the aged reds. Their gifts could worsen if allowed too much contact with air.