Love is like a fine wine – it is a flavour that grows fuller and more interesting over a long period of time. It is important, then, to celebrate the anniversary of such a full-bodied love with an equally rich bottle of wine. After all, a special occasion deserves the best!

But, in a world full of quality wine it can be hard to determine the perfect bouquet to match the occasion. Do you buy a certain year? Region? Flip a coin?

It almost goes without saying that celebrating a special point in your marriage requires a special vintage of wine. Determining that wine relies upon a few key points.

Research the Year

A year may have many great vintages or it may have been a bad season. Before you commit to a purchase you should do the appropriate research, before you realise your error after already committing to the first sip and discovering the unmistaken sourness of an inferior year.

For example, anyone soon celebrating their twentieth anniversary may quickly discover that a 1997 wine sourced from Bordeaux or Burgundy is not as fine as they might expect. Adverse conditions meant the vintage that year was not as rich as we come to expect. But, reds from the Rhône are fantastic and still enjoyable from 1997.

If simply look a year earlier, 1996 was a grand year for wines across the regions of the wine world. Many superstars have emerged from this year; Chateaux Latour, Margaux, Pontet-Canet and much more. There is such an abundance of great wines from this year, in fact, that you will wish you were married in 1996 if you were not!

These years are just a couple of examples, but illustrate perfectly how different a vintage can be and how a small amount of research can make a world of difference.

Location, Location, Location

The next step to buying the perfect anniversary wine is to consider the origin of your bottle.

Location can also have an effect outside of the quality or taste of the wine. Perhaps you enjoyed a wine tasting together at the budding of your relationship, in a particular region that brings back fond memories. Or, you both enjoy a region’s grapes and have always promised to go there together one day.

Either way, different regions of France, Italy and other countries can have a vastly differing style, quality and even abundance of grapes. A lot of this is dependent upon your own tastes. But, it is something to consider when picking out the perfect anniversary wine.

Age the Wine Alongside Your Marriage

A final, but important, step to acquiring the perfect anniversary wine is to start early. Or rather, plan ahead and buy a fine wine from the year you are married at the start of your life together. This means waiting a couple of years for the year’s vintage to be released, but it gives you the added advantage of tasting your anniversary wine before committing to aging a bottle. A fine taste now will only be better after a decade or two in your wine cellar.

With years to develop, your wine will have taken on a whole new flavour. Much like your marriage itself. Maturing, learning to blend and coming through the years finer than ever. All the characteristics of a fine wine and a fine marriage.

Of course, it is important that no matter the anniversary you treat the occasion with the proper respect it deserves and serve your wine the correct way. Choosing the wine for your anniversary can be a challenge in itself, but once you found the right bouquet then you need to ensure you treat it with the proper respect and savour it as the vintage deserves.

Wine cellars are ideal for storing your wine throughout the year in preparation for the perfect romantic moment and at Spiral Cellars we offer a wide range of wine rooms and cellars sure to fit your requirements. Contact our team on 0203 815 3329; we are always happy to answer any query you might have.

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