I am pregnant due in February. What wine should I put away for my baby's twenty-first birthday?

Answer 1

You will want to wait a couple years, because the kind of wines you would want from the 2007 vintage (the year your child will be born) won't be for sale until 2009 or later. Remember, the vintage date of the wine is determined by the year the grapes are picked. Right now, grapes are being picked for the 2006 vintage, which will go into barrels for at least a year before being bottled and sold.

A vintage Port is traditional for what you are doing, and usually taste best after 20 or 30 years on the shelf. Plus, they are great "celebration" wines. Another great choice would be Sautenes (a very expensive, wonderful French white desert wine) or a high-end, true French Champagne.

Bordeaux reds will also often age nicely over that that long a time. There are really few California Cabs that have consistenty aged well over that long a time frame, but Dunn, Diamond Creek, and Heitz Martha's Vineyard are notable exceptions.

We won't know for at least a year which one of those choices will be best, as weather conditions during the growing season strongly impact quality and age-worthiness. Ask this question again in a year, after we have seen the 2007 growing season weather, and you will get a good answer.

Answer 2

Look at the Wine Spectator and find a red wine that is rated 90 points or higher. They will tend to age very well for 15-20 yrs.

Something like a Cabernet Sauvignon with a good balance of acid and alcohol. Cabs have a higher level of tannic acid than most other reds, so they will age very well. Zinfandel is another good red for aging.

For whites, I have heard that a Sauterne has good aging characteristics. And of course, a top-rated Chardonnay will do well.

Reserve wines tend to be the best that a winery produces - they find the best grapes from the best vineyards, produce the wine carefully. Typically, the reserves will age the longest.

Unfortunately, the 2006 red wines won't be released until spring of 2008. And reserves are held off the market another 6 - 12 months. So you can buy a 2004 red, or an '02 or '03 reserve, but if you want a birthyear wine, wait a couple of years.

Storage conditions are critical. Keep the cork moist - lay the bottle on edge, not standing vertical. And keep the bottle from experiencing large swings in temperature. A mid-60 F temperature year round is ideal. And keep the bottle out of sun or artificial light.

Good luck.

Answer 3

You must be American. Please know the US drinking age is the highest in the world. What will you do if your child is living or studying in a more rational country by his or her late teens (if the world survives until then, which Bush and Cheney and your neocons are doing the best to prevent at present) where it is 16 or 18?

In any case, there is only one type of wine suitable for such a purpose: one of the great, wonderful dessert wines. If a vintage is declared in 2007 for oporto consider that. Or a German or Austrian Trokenbeerenauslese or eiswein (a Canadian ice wine may also do such honour, but the tradition of great Canadian wines is new and 21 years age as yet untested much). Or a Hungarian Tokaj, at least 5 puttonyos or sweeter.

Answer 4

I would try a good French bordeaux....see if there's a good wine shop in your area that could make a recommendation. We did this with both of our daughters....it was fun but she did not appreciate the wine. (Youngest one still isn't 21). She's now 24 and starting to drink wine. The Port might not be a bad suggestion as new drinkers often prefer sweet wines.

Answer 5

Do you have a good wine shop near you?? Seriously, ask them. The sommeliers know their stuff. I'd say champagne, but I wouldn't keep even the best bottle for 21 years.

The sommeliers will probably recommend a French red. They're more experts than I am. Go with your budget and sock the rest in a savings bond for college.

Answer 6

Don't worry about the wine, worry about getting the kid to his or her 21st birthday first then buy the wine too celebrate.

Answer 7

What ever kind you or your husband would not be tempted to bust open on a crazy night over the next 21 years.

Answer 8

My family is fond of Robert Mondavi wines. I would buy one bottled on your baby's birthday to save for his 21st birthday.

Visit their website to learn more about their wines. Here is a small excerpt:

Welcome to Robert Mondavi Private Selection.

For decades, Robert Mondavi sourced fruit from California's coast, developing a deep appreciation for this region's distinctive vineyards. In 1994, we introduced Robert Mondavi Private Selection wines - sourced exclusively from the North and Central Coast appellations - to showcase the high quality and character of our coastal grapes. Because of the region's unique range of growing conditions, we are able to source each variety from the climate and soil it likes best. The result is high quality, affordable fine wine.

Robert Mondavi Private Selection produces Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Fume Blanc, Syrah, Zinfandel and Johannisberg Riesling. Our wines - from light and lively to full-bodied and concentrated - have approachable bright fruit expression and exeptional balance, as well as great depth and texture. All are crafted to be enjoyed upon release.

Experience the flavors of the emerging California coast with our Robert Mondavi Private Selection wines. And discover everything you always wanted to know about entertaining with wine at our new website devoted to wine tasting, www.discover-wine.com. You'll find wine tasting basics, wine tasting party plans with downloadable invitations, educational articles, recipes, and much more

At Robert Mondavi, we believe that great wines begin in the vineyard. The wines of Robert Mondavi Private Selection embrace the best characteristics of their distinctive vineyards on California's coast, where cool fog and ocean breezes create a long growing season that results in grapes of intense flavor concentration. The unique geography and fascinating history of California's Central Coast give the region a character as distinctive as its wines.

Answer 9

2005 chateau margaux...or chateau petrus...they will peak in about 20 years and you will have a sublime bottle of wine, or with the wines i reccomended ..you could re- sell the petrus and pay for college.

Answer 10

I'm not familiar with this custom, but it sounds good to me! I'd go with a quality red. Make sure you store it properly. On a slant cork down so that no air gets in an turns it to vinegar. Dark cool place would help too.