Inexpensive wines should not be aged

Q. I've read about those legendary wines, i.e., first-growth Bordeaux and grand cru Burgundies, aging well for decades. But what about the moderately priced wines we ordinary people buy? Is it worth investing in a temperature-controlled wine cellar and storing them for a year or two? Will they improve or not?

A. Inexpensive wines -- reds and whites -- can be enjoyed young, and most are not apt to improve dramatically by aging in the bottle.

According to Karen MacNeil-Fife, in Sunset Magazine, "Most wines are meant to be aged no longer than it takes to bring them home from the store."

That said, do take care in transporting wine not to leave the bottles for any length of time in a hot car. Store wine in a cool, dark corner of your home.

Q. My wine teacher uses the term "terroir" a lot, as in "this wine tastes of its terroir." I'm having a hard time understanding the meaning. Do all wines have this taste of terroir?

A. Terroir is a French word that has become a universal wine term that is now appearing more often in American wine literature. It refers to how wines from the same grape variety have extremely varied characteristics due to conditions of the region or specific vineyard.

To demonstrate this, taste any two or three wines made by the same producer from the same vintage but carrying different appellations. Artesa Vineyard & Winery produces three different pinot noirs, from Carneros, Russian River Valley and Santa Barbara. This could be an interesting exercise for you.

Q. My boyfriend and I enjoyed a bottle of Folie a Deux Menage a Trois with dinner. I admit I decided to buy it because of the interesting name and label design -- and the wine clerk told me it was good, which it was. I'm used to seeing wines labeled after a grape variety. Is this a new trend?

A. The label on a bottle of wine undergoes considerable regulatory and creative scrutiny, probably more than those on any other commodity. After a design is created, the label must be submitted to the government agency that controls wine production as well as the various government agencies controlling importation and sale in every country where the wine is distributed.

A name for a wine that is patented and trademarked by the winery, i.e., Menage a Trois, is a proprietary label. Many proprietary wines are from premium grapes and highly regarded. There is no such grape as a proprietary wine. These are contemporary wines with labels to remind us that above all, wine should be fun.

Q. I've noticed that a lot more of the wine bottles I buy have screw caps or artificial corks. I've always associated screw caps with inexpensive wine but these wines aren't cheap. Do these type of closures affect the quality of the wine?

A. Many producers in countries all around the world are using artificial corks and screw cap wine bottles in an attempt to reduce cork taint.

Carolyn Prusa is a certified wine educator with Southern Wine & Spirits.