Aging is a Privilege
Lessons from wine about time, beauty, and change
Guests at The Modern used to joke with me, “how do you know this much about wine? Are you even old enough to drink?”
They don’t say that anymore! Now, I have a husband, “smile lines,” a few dozen grey hairs, and references to my youth are few and far between. That’s okay.
Just like wine, I’m changing as I get older!
Not all of those changes are necessarily good (my left knee pops all the time now? what is that?) or bad (I’m less impulsive, more kind) but I am certainly and unequivocally different from how I was before.
I feel less beholden to the expectations of others, and more aligned with my own personal values, and generally happier with myself, my choices, actions, and relationships.
All things change with time. People love to have opinions about how, why, and when things change. Especially how women change, and especially how wine changes.
For example, I love award show season. I love the clothes and the meaningless red carpet interviews. It is so frivolous and self-righteous and I love that designers and especially otherwise-anonymous stylists get their moment of fame while dressing A-lister nominees.
Every year I age, however, the way our red carpet women are criticized for aging hurts more and more. This is not a unique take: It’s impossible for women to age without criticism. Either you get too much work done to look fantastic or you don’t get enough work done and you don’t look fantastic enough. Everyone seems to have an opinion and it’s extremely hard for women to satisfy both sides of the aisle.
Women who are so spectacularly gorgeous are suddenly subject to the scrutiny of everybody with eyeballs. It’s unfair AND it’s not going anywhere.
Women age and people are immediately judgemental.
Wines age and people are immediately impressed.
Neither of these things are optimal.
Here are my answers to your wine aging FAQs along with lessons I’ve learned about personal aging.
How do wines change as they age?
White wines gain color as they age, transitioning from a straw or water white color to a deeper, more amber golden color. The fresh fruit flavors transition to more savory ones: bright lemon peel makes way for toasted nuts, for example. Acidity softens with time, making for a rounder, often creamier and weightier mouthfeel. We gain complexity and we lose freshness.
Red wines fade in color as they age, transitioning from bright ruby to brick. The fresh fruit flavors transition to more savory ones: fresh cherry makes way for decaying autumn leaves, for example. Tannins soften with time, making for a softer and less abrasive mouthfeel.
Most wines, both white and red, become less fresh and fruity, and more dried and earthy.
How have I changed? Besides my sprouting greys and popping knees? I understand now more than ever what is actually important to me. I’ve learned how to live in a way that keeps those important factors at the forefront. I understand time and peace and privacy to be the greatest luxuries. I get to make my own decisions now and stand by them.
I am less gullible, less influenceable, less angry. I am more nurturing, more creative, more patient, more observant, and more sustainable in every sense of the word.
Do all wines get better as they age? NO!
A great friend and wine mentor of mine, Brittany Galbraith, says “wines are like people. In order to grow old they need really strong bones. The bones of the wine are found in the structure: the sweetness, the acidity, the alcohol, and the tannins.”
If a wine doesn’t have at least one of those strong bones, it most likely will not get better as it ages.
“Better,” however, is in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I have a hard time understanding most wines 50 years and older. Some people love them! Just not me. When the freshness fades away and gets replaced with hard-to-understand complexity, I find deliciousness decreases. Does that mean the wine is “worse”? Depends on you and how you like your wine!
Unless your wine has strong bones (acidity, sweetness, alcohol, or tannin), your wine might fall flat as it ages.
I think I am getting better with age. I have strong bones upon which I can grow strong. My metaphorical tannins have softened in a way that I like and I have a long runway ahead of me.
Should all expensive wines be aged? NO!
Only strong-boned wines should be aged.
Classically, the red wines of Bordeaux, Piedmont, Northern Rhone, and Napa age extremely well. Sweet or oaked white wines age better than their dry and steely counterparts. Think Sauternes, white Burgundy, or German Riesling. Fortified wines like Port and Madeira age beautifully because they have higher alcohol as that strong bone.
Value only exists if it’s valuable to you.
Expensive doesn’t mean better. Expensive doesn’t mean it’s inherently higher quality. Expensive doesn’t mean it will work better for you. I think Birkins are ugly. They offer me no value. The vintage bag I got at the flea market in Chiang Mai for 200 baht is gorgeous and offers me endless value.
Aging asks the question, “what do you value? what are you willing to pay for it?” I love pondering this.
Are older wines automatically better? NO!
Some wines actively get worse as they get older. Wines like Provençal rosé, Beaujolais, or Vinho Verde are made with the intention of being drunk young. If you age them, they’ll lose their verve. Their charm is in their youth! That is worth celebrating, and it doesn’t mean their quality is inherently lower.
Older women are jealous of younger women. I know this because I am suddenly jealous of younger women. I think it’s biological. Their skin is tight and they are full of naivety and they understand social media in a way that I do not. It’s precious and I can feel my envy AND ALSO not want to swap places with them for even a second.
Older people are not automatically better because they are older. They are automatically better because of the invisible battles they have fought and the hills they have climbed. The human experience is a roller coaster and it keeps going until you die. The longer you last on that roller coaster, presumably, the more you learn. The more you learn, the better.
Do I need a cellar to age my wine? NO!
You do need, however, a way to store wines in a temperature controlled place, where bottles can lay on their sides undisturbed (wish I could lay on my side undisturbed while I age). I have a 14-bottle mini wine fridge that I got on Facebook Marketplace. It’s broken and stuck at 64 degrees Fahrenheit which is hardly below room temperature, but it does the trick. Avoid temperature fluctuations and light to successfully age bottles.
Eurocave is the industry standard for professional wine storage. You probably don’t need that. Something like this one is more at-home friendly and does the job perfectly.
The power of a safe, calm, and beautiful home is immense.
A partner certainly makes this easier, but it’s not necessary to have one in order to accomplish this. You may not need a cellar to age your wine, but you do need a home that feels like a retreat in order to properly rest and recharge. In my experience, this only gets more important as we age. I, like wine, need a dark and cold place for me to rest horizontally, in order for me to have any hope of aging beautifully.
How do I know if my wine is “ready to drink”?
This is complicated as so much depends on personal taste. Some people like old wine and some people like young wine! Getting any wine in its objective sweet spot is more challenging than we’d all like.
My general rule for my paid subscribers, is text me about it. My rule for unpaid subscribers, is upgrade to paid and text me about it.
I want to give you bespoke wine advice catered to your taste exactly when you need it. Your paid subscription gives you that.
You are ready today.
We cannot wait until we think we deserve the job to apply for it. We cannot wait until our body is perfect to wear the outfit. Apply before you think you’re ready. Put on the outfit. Aging means coming to understand everyone is faking it until they make it. Take the leap today. Start your Substack today. Ask him out today. Get bangs today, I do not care. Open the wine today. It’s a beautiful day to be ready.
I’d like to shout out some incredible old wines I’ve tasted.
Domaine Huet Le Haut Lieu Vouvray Moelleux 1924
I opened this bad larry on his 100th birthday back in 2024. This was a bottle that grew old on its strong bones: sweetness and acidity. Incredible mushroom flavors, plus classic honeysuckle, peach candies, white flowers, and spices. On the wine list at The Modern for just over $1200, a total steal for 100 years of history.
Heitz “Martha’s Vineyard” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1974
This wine is widely considered one of the greatest and most monumental California wines ever produced. 1974 was an epic vintage and Martha’s Vineyard (not the island) is an epic site. This wine grew old on its tannins. This bottle was just under $4,500 on the wine list at The Modern.
Grgich Hills Napa Valley Chardonnay 1980
I was doubtful when I opened this wine that it would be as perfect as it was. Nay, I would have bet money that I was going to taste the wine and pour it immediately down the drain. A wine without those aforementioned strong bones had extremely low chances of making it to 20 years old, and certainly not 45 years old! The wine was concentrated: orange in color and sunbaked on the palate. While I couldn’t have enjoyed more than a glass of this wine, it was fascinating, and full of life still, despite my educated guess.
Château Leoville Las Cases Grand Vin de Leoville 1924
At 102 years old, this beauty from Bordeaux was still kicking just last month. It was filled with sediment AND filled with character and depth and complexity. I loved it. Rustic red fruits, tobacco, old leather couch, this was quintessentially old Bordeaux. Classic. Available on Wine Searcher for $1,600 for anyone interested.
I’d also like to shout out some incredible old people I know: my nana (93 years old!), my in-laws in their mid-70s (this is hardly even old), and my niece (coming up on 2 years old and getting more grown and more sophisticated every day). Love you guys.