Has ageing wine become irrelevant?

Various reasons are put forward for this. “Some of this conversation [about diminished ageing potential] is fuelled by climate change, that warmer vintages lead to enhanced ripeness and in turn to readier accessibility, some of it by the assumption of impatience – that the newer generation of wine drinkers is disinclined to defer gratification,” writes local critic Michael Fridjhon in an article entitled “Will today’s vintages stand the test of time?” which appeared on BusinessLIVE.co.za on 13 January.

Picking up on the issue of consumer desire for a quick fix, Matt Walls writes in an article entitled “Coming of age” which appeared on TimAtkin.com yesterday that “(w)ith the growth of Uber, Netflix and even wine apps such as Drop, much has been made of the ‘on-demand economy’. What we want, we want now. Since most wine is shipped shortly after bottling, that’s when it usually gets drunk, so it needs to be delicious on release. Waiting for a decade or two before your wine is drinkable feels like the behaviour of a bygone era.”

Then there is the issue of storage, with Wells observing “The dynamic nature of the restaurant scene might also be driving this trend. According to Harden’s Restaurant Guide, London saw more new openings in 2016 than any other year since its records began in 1991. Finding restaurants or wine bars with cellars for ageing wines is increasingly rare, and not just in the UK. As inner city rents spiral, its simply not a cost-effective use of space. The same is true for high street wine merchants. And for private homes. I’m not sure exactly who is ageing wine in the UK these days.”

To read more online, click here.

For Michael Fridjhon's view on this topic - Will today’s vintages stand the test of time? - click here.