One of the most common myths about wine is that all or most wines get better with age. Most wines hit a point where age does not increase their flavor, instead it actually hurts the wine.

A case in point is my experience tonight. While my preference leans towards reds, I love a good Riesling, which has a shelf-life of 18-24 months. There are several decent Rieslings in my area, but they mostly pale in comparison to a good German Riesling.

I opened a bottle of of German Riesling tonight, it was a vintage I have had before and I knew I liked it. However, it was a 2002 vintage, and it was well past its prime. It had a strong tannic taste, I could not taste the fruit flavors and it had a musty aroma.

I dumped it and switched a 2004 Windham Winery Riesling, which was much better. Review follows soon.