Wine can be like time travel. Open a bottle and you’re whisked away to the year and the place that the wine was made. Magical stuff.

However, many wine beginners miss out on trying old wine because it’s hard to find. Plus, they had no clue they were going to love wine 3-5 years ago.

So, here’s three tips to help you buy old wine that you can drink and enjoy today.

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WineBid.com is a great way to discover special bottles from a particular vintage.

​WineBid is a weekly wine auction site. Every week thousands of bottles are available to the highest bidder.

If you sign up for an account, you can add a particular year, region or producer to your favorites. This helps you hunt down those special bottles with ease.

I’ve had success with buying from them in the past, and I can vouch for some really great values (please don’t outbid me).

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Port showcases the complexity of older wines with value and accessibility.

Ruby and Tawny are the among most common types of Port. The 10-20 year versions show flavors and aromas of dried or candied fruit and nuts. Similar to flavors you might see in older wines, you can pick these up in stores today.

If want something really special, try vintage Port. Released only a few times a decade, they can age for a very long time, especially if properly stored.

Vintage Port is great for those milestone birthdays and anniversaries (30 to even 80 years). I still remember the 1985 Vintage Port my parents got me for my 30th.

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Some retailers have access to wines aged in European cellars.

​Envoyer Fine Wines is an incredible wine retailer based in Southern California.

When you sign up for their email list, they will sometimes offer back-vintage wines for purchase. These are acquired from wineries or private collections. And the offerings are typically limited to a few bottles.

Even if you don’t want to buy, receiving their emails are worth the educational value as they are packed with details.

Let me know if you have any questions about storing or sourcing old wine, because it used to be my job.

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Free Run Juice

*free-run juice is a wine term for the grape juice that comes from their own weight prior to pressing. These are weekly tidbits that came out from my own wine reading.

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Even Wine Pros Are Getting Priced Out of Napa

Napa has come a long way in the 46 years since it went toe-to-toe with France’s best ​

Now, Wall Street Journal’s Lettie Teague said she’s getting bumped out of America’s most prominent wine region.

If you’re looking for value, go north. Washington or Oregon offer incredible value.

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Tasting Old Wine With Andre Mack and The Myth of Wine Consumption Stats

Andre Mack is a great guide to wine, and I thought this video would pair nicely with this email.

However, Andre gets one thing very wrong. It’s the myth about how quickly wine is consumed in the US.

Andre starts the video with one of the most common wine myths: 90% of wine is consumed within 24 hours of purchase. It’s apocryphal (so glad I get to use that word in a newsletter).

A 2018 Sonoma State University Study revealed that only 20% of wine purchased is consumed within 24 hours.

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I’ve been guilty of spouting this wine myth before, but never again.