Are older vintages always better than younger ones?

Contrary to what you may expect, most wines today are made for consumption while they are still young (within a year or two of the vintage on the label) and will not improve much over time.

With red wines, you can generally bank on an older vintage having more complexity and smoothness than a younger vintage, especially for age-worthy grapes, such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot and blends containing these grapes.

Because red wines contain age-friendly tannins originating from contact with grape skins and stems, and from aging in oak barrels, they continue to develop and mature inside the bottle and become more drinkable over time.

Hairdressers who offer their customers a festive glass of mulled wine at Christmas have been warned that they face six months in jail and a £20,000 fine.

Staff at the Nigel Alexandre salon in Norwich could now be fined £20,000 if they serve mulled wine to clients Photo: ADRIAN JUDD

The threat was made by council chiefs, who even announced that they will send officers into salons under cover in an effort to catch offenders. Hairdressers have criticised the move as "Scrooge-like".

Norwich City Council wrote to all hairdressing businesses in the city ordering them to get a licence if they want to serve alcoholic drinks.

Sent to 104 salons in Norwich, the letter states that the practice of serving complimentary alcoholic drinks is a breach of the law and requires various licences.

It then warns: "To address this issue enforcement action, including the use of undercover officers, may be undertaken in the near future."
The council also declares that anyone found guilty of unlawfully supplying alcohol could face a maximum of six months in jail, a maximum fine of £20,000 or both.
Nigel Matthews, owner of Nigel Alexandre salon, said: "The vast majority of salons serve tea and coffee throughout the year and in the couple of weeks before Christmas offer a glass of wine or mulled wine or sherry. It seems very Scrooge-like to send a letter out just as we are entering the festive period.

"It is traditional, the clients are rewarded and it is all part of the customer service.

"What struck me was the potential sentence – you get a lot less than that for a lot more than serving a glass of wine."

Jason Taylor, owner and director of Kinki which has two branches in the city, said: "If we were having parties and getting everyone drunk then I could understand but it is a token tipple, a stubby bottle of three per cent beer or a small glass of wine.

"And in these very tough times we need whatever help we can get."

Georgia Parry, who works in the Max Giammello salon, said it would no longer be able to offer champagne with its VIP package, which is available all year round.

She said: "Champagne and strawberries is a nice thing to have, and having to stop that brings the whole VIP package to a lower level."
A council spokesman said that under the 2003 Licensing Act "sale by retail" includes providing alcohol to customers as part of the service.

He added that a letter of complaint was received last month about salons offering drinks.

"We wanted to make sure small businesses did not unwittingly fall foul of the law while trying to spread a little Christmas cheer in the build-up to the festive season," he said.

Michael Stephenson, regulatory services manager, said: "We know that with the credit crunch all businesses need to do everything they can to encourage customers through their doors and will be offering various incentives in order to achieve that.

"We accept the letter we sent out to hairdressers in the city may not appear to be in keeping with the festive mood and are sorry if it has been misunderstood.

"However, we are a licensing authority and there is a serious message here about the enforcement of licensing laws and helping businesses make sure they do not fall foul of the law."

Wine is like a living thing and constantly changes with age. That's probably why quite a lot of wine tastes better even with only a few months in the cellar.

Many times when having friends for dinner or celebrating a special occasion, I find lots of pleasure and satisfaction in being able to choose a wine from my collection, taking out its cork and enjoying the benefit of age that has made the wine ready to drink.

For a wine to get better with age in the cellar, it needs to have three characteristics: flavor concentration, good acidity, and balance. It is important though, to understand that not all wines will improve with extended cellaring.

Finding the perfect date can be tough at times. But it’s a little easier to find a wine date for your Thanksgiving feast. There are all those “wine rules” you have to follow… right?

Forget about those stuffy rules and just drink what you like. Although one thing you should probably do is serve both red and white wines so your guests have a choice. You might even consider serving a sparkling wine if you’re feeling extra festive.

If you still need a little direction, never fear. I have consulted some folks in the wine industry to help guide us. With their help I’ve compiled a list at different price points, to fit almost anyone’s budget. The categories are $10-$20, $20-30, $30-40 and $40-$60.

I know some of you aren’t Americans and don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. But hey, if you can afford a tasty bottle of wine, then you have something to be thankful for. So consider cooking a turkey and inviting a bunch of friends and family over and share in the American holiday.