White wines are not all created equal. Certain white wines will remain in the cellar for a long time before they peak and are suitable for drinking. Others peak rather early, making for a tasty bottle without all of the waiting. So which bottles are ready to go and which ones need some time alone?
Pinot Grigio needs only a year or so before it’s ready to be poured into your glass. Though it is important to remember that this does not necessarily mean all Pinot Grigio bottles, it does include a large majority of them.
Chardonnays need only a year or two more than Pinot Grigio. These tend to include the bottles that don’t cost an arm and a leg; if you spot one of those, it may have remained in the cellar a bit longer.
Grüner Veltliner wine takes things up a notch, needing as much as eight years before its release to the public.
Cru Chablis rolls right off the tongue, however, if you want the wine to roll off your tongue, the wait can be as much as a decade.
At the longest timeframe of twenty or potentially even more years is the Auslese Riesling. They don’t call Riesling one of the noble grapes for nothing!