wine meant to be saved?

So I had this idea... my friend is getting married in May and I'm getting her a bunch of the wine-related things from her registry, and I thought that in addition to that, I might get her and her new husband a nice bottle of wine, vintage 2007, that they could save for some time (a few or many years) and open someday in the future, maybe an anniversary, etc.

I don't know a lot about wine, but I seem to recall some sense that certain wines these days are meant to be consumed soon after purchasing, rather than storing for years and years. Is this true? If so, how do I know which wines can still be stored for a long time? Should I just ask the person working at the store?

And on another note, I like Liquor Barn because of their extensive selection, but are their staff actually knowledgeable about wines or should I try one of the smaller stores if I need to ask a lot of questions?

Thanks!

ps -- I actually went and looked at Robin's wine forum, but it was too overwhelming for me, so I thought I'd try here first

Most wine is meant to be consumed soon after purchase. People wrongly assume that all wine benefits from aging. A relatively small number do. These are usually special wines made from grapes that benefit or gain new flavors from aging. Generally speaking these are the five Bordeaux grapes, some Pinot Noir, some Syrah, Riesling, and lesser known grapes used in making some Spanish wine. Also, some of the wines from the Piedmontese region of Italy and the brunello clone of the sangiovese grape benefit from aging.

How long do you want to age this wine? If only a few years, then you have a lot of options. I'd go for a Chateauneuf du Pape or a Cote Rotie from the Rhone Valley. If you need something to hang out for more than a couple decades, I'd stick with Bordeaux.

Temperature control is important for very long aging, but not so important for short term. Just make sure the bottle stays on its side to keep the cork damp, and try to keep it in constant temperature setting.

another thing to consider is that a vintage 2007 worth aging, will most likely not be released for at least two years from now. (IE: the 2004 Chateuneuf du Papes have just been released in the last 6 months)

So if you were thinking about buying a case of wine for them, you may want to look into futures, but that's a whole other story...

Have you considered a port wine? My DH and I bought a few (not enough ) bottles in the vintage of the year we were married, 1991. We have enjoyed both bottles we have drunk already and are lamenting over when to open that last bottle... I am holding out for our 25th wedding anniversary, although it was tempting to open it last year on our 15th. The nice thing about a port is that it doesn't need to be drunk all at once...it will last in the bottle for quite some time after opening. I like to open a bottle in the fall and sip it occaisionally through out the winter months.

I have to admit, my DH wanted to buy an entire case as a gift to ourselves, but being just out of college and broke, I insisted on something practical! Silly me! A case of port, with a bottle to open each year, would make a fantastic wedding gift to someone really special; but a single bottle to age with them is also very thoughtful. If you decide to go with a port, I'm sure Rbin could give you some good ones to choose from. In fact I'd be very interested in his suggestions! Robin, could you help recommend a good port if you have a chance? Thanks!!

Go talk to Doug at the St Matthews wine store in Chenoweth Plaza. He's very good with wine and is more reasonable than many. One thought...wine is a very personal thing. Unless you know what they love and what you're getting, it might not be such a great present. However, one of our friends went to Old Town in the Highlands and told the man what we liked and he gave us a dandy array which we enjoyed! Another group of guests got together and gave us a one year's wine club membership, which was GREAT fun! With those, you can often specify what you want...whites vs reds, etc. Almost all wineries have clubs; we belong to several in CA and have truly enjoyed some great selections. Wine club members often get the premiums once or twice a year, plus you get discounts on cases for reorders. Since the shipping laws have changed, we no longer have to ship to Ohio, but just wait for the UPS truck! Sort of a gift that keeps on giving!

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions! I knew I didn't know enough about wine to figure this out on my own, but you all have given me some good ideas to work from.