Expensive and old wine is always better

Each wine is made for a niche market with the expectation of a certain time scale set for its sale. Some wines are simply meant to be drunk in youth and will get increasingly worse as they age.

Young red wines are produced quickly and do not require special storage conditions. The advantage of these wines is their freshness, a fruity taste and a lively colour. This wine, however, must be drunk within 2-3 years in order to maintain its flavour.

Crianza is another wine which is aged 12 months in a barrel and the same time in a bottle. It is worth noting that for Reserva wine this period is twice as long.

Generally, wine is ready for consumption after 5-6 months of aging in a bottle. After this time thereon it becomes no better and no worse, just different. Fresh notes replace more mature ones with dried fruits, leather and prunes. If you are buying wine to drink, then consume a Crianza no older than 4-6 years old and Reserva up to 8-10 years old.

Must we pair red wine with meat and white wine with fish?

Here we go again with one of the biggest wine/food misconceptions. Not all red wines go well with red meat and similarly not all white wines go with white meat or fish. It is not the colours of the wine that are paired, but the textures of the food and drink. Rich, intense Priorat wines are more suitable for meat. Fans of Japanese cuisine should try tuna sashimi with the white Odysseus Garnacha Blanca.

For red wine lovers we advise you to give Rioja Tinto a shot and pair it with fish. You can even put the bottle in an ice bucket for about 10 minutes because the wine will only benefit from being chilled.