Drinking window: The right timing for fine wine investments

What is a drinking window?

The terms readiness to drink or even ripe for pleasure are a common concept in the wine industry that describes the ideal period of time (drinking window) for enjoying a particular wine when it has reached its peak in terms of taste, aroma and overall quality. Although this peak can of course vary somewhat depending on personal taste. Because some people prefer young wines with a fresh scent and harmonious taste, others prefer mature, complex wines.

In general, however, factors such as the grape variety, winemaking techniques and the aging potential of the wine are taken into account when determining the drinking window. Different wines have different maturation windows, ranging from a few months for lighter, more youthful wines to several years or even decades for complex, age-worthy wines.

By the way, at least 80 percent of all wines produced in the world are intended to be enjoyed within the first one to two years after harvesting. These wines are ready to drink just six to eight weeks after bottling - but are completely unsuitable as collector wines. A top wine only ripens with increasing age and usually only then has the ideal amount of alcohol, tannin, acid and oak wood seasoning.

Only around 200 of the wines produced worldwide meet the criteria for “IGW's” (Investment-Grade Wines). The requirements for a valuable wine are:

• Origin from a well-known reputable winery
• Wine longevity of at least 10 years
• Increase in value of over 10 years or longer
• Tradability as an asset
• Good review from renowned wine critics

To determine the drinking age window of a particular wine, experts often rely on their knowledge and experience as well as on tasting notes from winemakers and wine critics. In addition, certain indicators such as acidity, tannin content and overall balance of wine can provide information about its aging potential and when it is at its best time.

But the drinking window is important not only for connoisseurs, but also for wine investors in particular. Because in general, new volumes are more speculative than older ones. The ratings and assessments of the latter have been determined and the further development potential can be better estimated. However, the prices of older vintages are rising more slowly and will usually reach a plateau when the drinking window starts to close. If you want to invest money in wine, you absolutely have to keep an eye on this drinking window. For this purpose, a current Drinking age table be of great use.

Famous wines and their drinking windows

First, however, you should decide which investment wine it should be. Die most important wine-growing regions, which investors should know, are located in France (including Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Rhone), Italy (including Tuscany, Barolo), California (Napa Valley and Sonoma) and Australia. In Burgundy in France, for example, 2021 was 41 of the 50 most valuable wines in the world grown.

• burgundy

Excellent Burgundy wines are produced only in very small quantities, which are immediately purchased by Burgundy lovers when they appear. When they then come back on the market, their scarcity can drive prices to astronomical heights.

The famous Pinot Noir is also known as Pinot Noir. However, it is difficult to predict how well he will age, as the aging potential depends heavily on the year. 1929, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1969, 1978, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1999 and 2005 are considered to be the best vintages of Red Burgundy.

Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines from the 2015 and 2014 vintages are not yet ready to drink. Premier Cru wines older than 2009 should be drunk, while “drink/store” is recommended for younger vintages. The same applies to Grand Cru wines, although the 2005 vintage is likely to improve even further with additional storage in the bottle.

• Bordeaux

On the “left bank” of Bordeaux are the Châteaux Latour, Lafite-Rothschild, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild and Haut-Brion Still reliable investment wines of high quality. On the other side of the Garonne, in Libournais (the “right bank”), the sumptuous Merlot wines from the Pomerol estates Le Pin, Petrus, Lafleur and La Fleur-Petrus are particularly popular on the US market for fine wines, as are the top investment wines from Saint-Emilion, Angelus, Ausone, Cheval Blanc and Pavie.

With regard to the drinking window, the 1996 and 2000, and in some cases also 1998, are considered to be excellent, storable vintages. By contrast, the 1997s, 1999s and 2007s have already reached their drinking maturity. The 2005, 2009 and 2010 vintages are still too young, and these wines should be stored for 20 years or more in order to become finer, more complex and therefore more valuable.

• Champagne

Champagne is divided into vintage champagne and non-vintage champagne. The well-known non-vintage champagnes include Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Drappier and Piper-Heidsieck. These are made by blending base wines from different vintages and are best enjoyed within three to five years. Vintage champagne, on the other hand, must be made from grapes harvested in the specified year and therefore generally reflects the characteristics of the harvest year. Top-class vintage champagnes are best enjoyed eight to 15 years after their release.

Dom Perignon, for example, stays in the bottle for at least seven years, and some vintages even ten years or longer. Large vintages such as 2002, 2004 and 2008 are only now reaching the stage of perfect drinking maturity. Lovers of older Dom Perignons still enjoy vintages such as 1949, 1962, 1971, 1982, 1990 and 1996.

Passion Investment Fine Wine

Investments in wine and champagne are characterized by lower volatility and extensive independence from financial market activity. Because, like all collectibles, fine wine also has intrinsic and collector value. That is why people often speak of “passion investments”, which add not only material but also emotional value to wine and champagne as a portfolio addition in the form of pleasure or joy.

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