Tannins
The more tannins red wine has the better it will age. Over an extended period of time, tannins break down within the wine. Its breakdown is what results in the smoother flavor that many wine drinkers prefer. However, wine must already be balanced in order for tannins to help it successfully age.
Alcohol Content
The alcohol content of any wine is dependent on how much sugar the grapes used to make the wine contain. While wine is being fermented the yeast absorbs the sugar in the grapes. In turn, this gives the wine its alcohol content. How much alcohol a bottle of wine contains is dependent on not only the fermentation process but also the conditions the grapes were grown in.
Acidity
In general, the more acid is in wine, the longer the wine will last. The high acidity level allows the wine to age in a way that makes it appealing to drink. The reason for this is that aged wine loses its acidity slowly.
Sugar
Sweet wines spend longer aging successfully than other wines do. However, this does nothing to dimish the popularity of dry wines.
The ideal grapes for helping wines age are Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Aglianico, and Nebbiolo. All other types of grapes may result in the wine aging unsuccessfully. Find a few of those here!
