As wine becomes loved by more and more people, the anniversary wine is becoming a perfect present for the happy couple. Simply put, a wine is chosen that will be just right in 10 or 20 years, and the couple can now drink the wine on their anniversaries!

You can't, of course, buy something FROM that year. Any wine worth aging will be at the winery for a few years, sitting in oak barrels. The wines you will be choosing from will have already aged for a few years, and the quality of their vintages will be well known. It's now up to you to determine which wine to get, and from which year.

First off, different wines have different aging properties. Yes, there are bad years and good years, and bad wineries and good wineries. Still, you can generally assume that a Port will last longer than say a Beaujolais Nouveau. Wines that people typically age for long lengths of time include:

Bordeaux, Red	7-12 years
Cabernet Sauvignon	5-10 years
Champagne, Vintage	5-10 years
Port, Vintage	10-20 years, far more for some
Zinfandel, Red	5-10 years

Exceptional vintages for these wine types can double or triple the aging potential. Check out my Vintage Charts for some guidance on which years are good ones. Then ask some innocent questions of your recipients (or of your partner!) to figure out which wines would be most appropriate. It does no good getting a delicious port to open in 20 years if the couple hates ports!

Also be sure to mention proper storage for the wine. It'd be awful for this delicious port to be perfect in 20 years - except they stuck it in a shelf next to the stove! As long as they can keep it cool and on its side, that will go a long way to keeping the wine tasty.

Finally, stick a fun label on the wine! You want the couple to be able to remember why the wine was chosen, and who gave it to them. Be creative, and in a decade or two your choice will be toasted with a smile.

The Basics of Champagne
Methode Champenoise - How Champagne is Made

Champagne Pairings and Reviews

• Champagne and Cheese
• Champagne Appetizers
• Champagne Meals
• Champagne Desserts
• Champagne Punch Recipes
• Champagne Pronunciations
• Champagne Vintage Charts
  
  
• Champagne Tasting Notes
• Champagne by Time Zone
  
  
• Champagne Cocktail Recipes
• Pink Champagne
• Anniversary Champagne
• Wine and Weddings
• Planning a Champagne Toast

Champagne History and Information

• How to Open Champagne
• Champagne Alcohol Levels
• Quotes About Champagne
• Champagne Toasts
• Toasts Around the World
• The Hear Hear Toast
• Why we Clink Glasses
• Champagne Bubble Stream
  
  
• Champagne Clip Art
• Champagne Bottle Photos
• Books on Champagne
• Movies involving Champagne
  
  
• Champagne Bubbles - Drunk More Quickly
• The Famous Champagne Widows
• Marie Antoinette and the Coupe Class
• What is Dom Perignon?
• Fun Champagne Quiz
• What is a Shot of Alcohol?

Champagne Cocktail Recipes Ebook

You'll have instant access to over 90 delicious Champagne cocktail recipes from your Kindle, your laptop, your PDA, or any other PDF-viewing system! Perfect for any Champagne cocktail lover!
Champagne Cocktail Recipes Ebook

Our Sangria Recipes include a section on sparkling sangria recipes. These are Champagne Cocktails as well!