When Should I Drink My Wine?

At Baltaire, guests often ask one of the most timeless wine questions: “When should I drink my wine?” The answer isn’t always simple. Some bottles are crafted to be enjoyed immediately, bursting with freshness and energy, while others evolve for decades, developing complexity along the way. To help demystify the timing of opening a special bottle, we sat down with Alliance Hospitality's Wine Director David Taylor, who shares his perspective on how to recognize when a wine is ready, what to consider before bringing a bottle from home, and why the setting can make all the difference.

Q: If I bring a bottle of wine from home, how do I know when it’s ready to drink?
David: It’s ready to drink when you’re ready to drink it. It really depends on what the wine is and what you’re looking to get out of it. In general, white wines are enjoyed much younger than red wines, and bolder wines tend to last a little bit longer than lighter-bodied wines.

Q: What are the signs a wine is at its peak versus past its prime?
David Taylor: A wine at its peak will showcase a beautiful array of aromas and flavors that are really just jumping out of the glass. A wine that’s past its prime often has dull or muted notes on the nose and feels flat on the palate.

Q: Does every wine benefit from age, or are most wines meant to be enjoyed young?
David: Some wines are designed to be enjoyed young. Some wines are designed to be cellared for many years. But all wines can be drunk both young and old. Some will just go past their prime, and that’s when you learn the limit of their life.

Q: What types of wine are better to be aged?
David: Generally, a winery’s premium wines are better for aging. Bigger-bodied reds such as Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah can age for a very long time. I also particularly enjoy Champagne with some age. That’s a more acquired taste—the bubbles tend to die down and you get more bruised fruit notes than fresh fruit notes. But again, it all circles back to what you’re desiring for your palate.

Q: And what’s meant to be enjoyed young?
David: Young, fresh white wines. There are so many great Albariños and Alsatian Rieslings that are really zippy on the palate. Some Sauvignon Blancs are fantastic in their youth. And Rosé—Rosé is designed to be made quickly and drunk quickly.

Q: How do different styles like Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Champagne age differently?
David: They age wildly differently. Cabernet and Pinot Noir are reds, so they tend to have tannin and structure that give them longevity. Chardonnay and Champagne don’t have that structure, so they start to show those older notes sooner. Wines also change color as they age—white wines turn more amber, while red wines take on a copper or brick-red tone. They also lose body over time and start to thin out. But this all depends on the producer and the variety.

Q: What’s the general window for drinking affordable versus collectible wines?
David: Generally, the more collectible wines—those higher-priced bottles—are designed to be aged longer. Affordable wines are usually made to be enjoyed younger. But that’s a broad generalization. There are always outliers and fun surprises—wines you don’t expect to age well that turn out beautifully after a few years.

Q: How does vintage variation change the drinking window? For example, a hot versus a cool year.
David: Vintage variation has a huge impact. In a tough vintage with a lot of rain or hail, the quality of fruit coming into the winery isn’t as strong, so it’s harder to make a wine that can go the distance. On the other hand, those epic vintages—the ones rated 100 points—tend to age much longer.

Q: Are there wines that actually decline faster than people might expect?
David: Absolutely. I was just talking to a winemaker about Chardonnay production methods and whether they suffer from something called premox—premature oxidization. Different production methods can either help prevent that or make it more likely. Some winemakers take a little more risk in their approach, and those wines may not age as long.

Q: When a guest brings in a special bottle, what do you wish they’d considered beforehand?
David: Think about the wine list of the restaurant. Those long lists are curated by people who spend a ton of time, research, and effort choosing the right selection. If you bring a bottle that’s already on the list, you’re bypassing that work. So if you want to bring something special, we absolutely encourage it—but make sure it’s not already represented at the restaurant.

Q: How can a restaurant setting enhance—or even rescue—the experience of opening an older wine?
David: We get to use some fun tools. For example, a Durand is a special opener for older corks that may not be in the best shape. Guests love watching it in action. And then there’s the knowledge side—talking to a sommelier about your bottle. Sometimes there isn’t much information online, but sommeliers have spent their careers studying wines and can share unique stories and context that elevate the experience.

Q: Are there wines you’d recommend guests enjoy at Baltaire rather than saving at home?
David: We’re a steakhouse, so I definitely think we should lean into the bigger-bodied reds that pair beautifully with our steaks.

At the end of the day, every bottle tells its own story. Some wines are meant to be savored young, others reward patience, but the most important moment is the one when you choose to open it. As David reminds us, whether it’s a treasured collectible or a fresh rosé, the best wine is the one enjoyed at the right table, with the right company.

The Evolution of Scottsdale’s Dining Scene

From hidden martini carts to fiery tomahawks, Scottsdale’s Entertainment District is leading a new era where dining and entertainment collide. Join us for a Q&A between Alliance Hospitality Group’s COO Travis Strickland and Marketing Associate Gigi Garland on the dining evolution that is happening in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale.

Photo by Jim Poulin for Phoenix Business Journal

Q: What does the future of hospitality in Old Town Scottsdale look like to you in five years, and how do you see the district evolving beyond where it is today?

Travis: The evolution has already begun, in my view, with the opening of Sexy Roman at the W, which has been the landmark of that entertainment and hospitality district for almost 20 years. There is now a new service-forward and food-and-beverage-focused group at the W that is putting forward a highly experiential dining concept at Sexy Roman.

That was followed by the transformation next door at the new REMI Hotel, which has three dynamic restaurants and food and beverage concepts. F/Sixteen is a casual, all-American diner that will be open early for breakfast and late into the night. Kauboi, on the third floor of the REMI, is up a beautiful grand staircase and offers an indoor-outdoor concept with a speakeasy whiskey lounge tucked inside the restaurant, a stunning high-ceiling dining room with dynamic food and creative cocktails, and an outdoor event terrace where the doors open to create a true indoor-outdoor feel, complete with a live-fire cooking station for yakitori skewers. Finally, there’s Allegra, the tallest rooftop in Arizona, located where the pool sits. It offers a 360-degree view of Scottsdale and Camelback Mountain and serves as a rooftop lounge.

All of these venues, I think, have begun the trend of elevating what was previously just a nightlife-related experience in this hospitality district. They’re now attracting a more sophisticated, high-end, discerning clientele that is seeking world-class food and beverage dining destinations.

Kauboi Scottsdale’s fiery tomahawk tableside display.

Q: Do you think the REMI and Sexy Roman are catalyzing this movement and transition? Are they the first to bring that shift in?

Travis: They are, but they’re not alone. Along with our partners in the REMI, the Riot Hospitality Group has done something similar with Shiv Restaurant, which is also in the district. It’s a high-energy venue with live performances, a music-driven supper club concept, and dining all in one.

All of this opening within just a few months of one another is the result of more than five years of planning, development, concept creation, hiring, and execution. This has been in the works for a very long time, and it was always intended to be the first phase of what will ultimately become a redevelopment of the entire entertainment district.

There are also a handful of other properties in the district that we’ve already created development plans for, and we’ll be undertaking some of that work in the near future. It really is a large and dynamic, concerted effort to, as I’ve said, elevate the district.

Sexy Roman’s secret Martini Cart that offers a spectacular tableside show with the press of a button.

Q: It’s also interesting what you’re saying about the 20- and 30-year-olds. It seems like there’s a generational shift, especially with Gen Z, in how they approach nightlife.

Travis: It is a generational shift. Restaurants have now become the place where entertainment happens.

Entertainment can take many forms in a restaurant. It might be a quiet dinner, or it could be a big, splashy event with six or eight people. The experiential concepts we create, like the tableside martini cart at Sexy Roman or the outdoor cooking terrace at the REMI, allow guests to be front and center, engaging with the cooking happening all around them.

There are countless opportunities for guests to have individualized experiences, depending on what they’re looking for.

Q: With concepts like Sexy Roman and the REMI’s dining venues, what role does food play in creating a sense of destination beyond nightlife?

Travis: Food plays a huge role in the entertainment. It’s not enough for a restaurant to simply exist.

There’s a new discernment among today’s 20, 30, and 40-year-olds. They’re more well-traveled, more knowledgeable about food and beverage, and much more demanding of quality. That challenges us, as restaurateurs, to step up our game. We need to deliver exceptional service, high-level food, and the theater of dining—through tableside elements and interactive dishes. That’s the direction food and beverage is heading.

The Lobby at The REMI. Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ.

Q: You mentioned that high-end hotels can become community gathering spots. How are you designing spaces that locals want to frequent, not just tourists or travelers?

Travis: We put a lot of emphasis on how a space feels the moment you walk in. Does it feel warm and welcoming—like somewhere you want to spend time? Or does it feel transitory, like a place you’re simply passing through? At the REMI, which represents five years of work and countless design details, the result is a grand lobby where people want to linger. You can have a glass of champagne or something to eat before heading into one of the restaurants or nightlife experiences within the hotel. That sense of comfort, warmth, and welcome is something we pay a lot of attention to when designing a hotel lobby.

Follow Travis for more restaurant updates on LinkedIn or Instagram at @travisstrickland_la.