After receiving an order of wine in the mail, I was advised to let it rest for four to six weeks before opening. Is this really necessary?

The concept of "travel shock" is one of those issues that not all wine lovers agree on, so there is no definitive answer. Considerable vibration and movement isn´t good for a wine, and the more delicate a wine is, the more it can be affected by such things. If you crack open a bottle right off the back of a delivery truck or after it´s been rattling around in your Jeep, it might seem a bit disjointed or shut down, or it might be just fine. In my experience, a few days (up to a week or two for particularly delicate wines) is plenty of time to let a bottle rest to ward off any jet lag or travel sickness.