When we choose to age a wine, we are looking to keep it stored in a cool and dark place so it can improve. Generally, wines with high acidity, sweetness, alcohol, or tannins age well.
Some wines improve after aging, while others may lose their refreshing qualities. Wines such as cabernet sauvignon blends, tempranillo, barolo, and port can be aged for decades.
Aging can improve a wine by softening its alcohol and tannins and allowing its more subtle aromas to develop. Aging also adds more earthy elements to a wine and changes its color. Red wines become lighter and more rusty colored while white wines darken and turn caramel colored.