Wine is more casual and democratized these days. No need for linen-draped dining tables in fancy restaurants. Good juice is readily available in cans. Sparkling wines are often sealed with the same crown caps used for beer. Labels are full of color and imagination—no château sketches required. All of this approachability, but squirreling away wines to age still carries the stigmatism of elitism. Besides, cellaring wine is for only Bordeaux and Burgundy, with the occasional luxury-level Champagne or Port thrown in, right? Actually, no.

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