Philadelphia, PA - Wine is a complicated substance. Open up a bottle of it today, and it may taste great. Open the exact same wine a few years from now, and the wine turns out to be something else completely. Harsh edges in the flavour will likely have smoothed away and the general flavor will most likely become considerably more balanced and mellowed.
The reason we age wine. Actually, as revealed above, the various elements of wine will mature over time, and give a harmonious harmony to the taste. Tannins, found in red wine, contribute to that bitter and astringent flavoring. Granted time, the tannins will assist in the maturing the wine. As it gets older, the tannins precipitate out, providing a smoother and more mature wine. As a bottle of wine gets older, the acids will shed a bit of their bite, permitting the fruit flavors to come out. As the ingredients of an aged wine age, it produces some extra complexness to the flavor. what you end up with after a number of years of adequate aging is a complicated and well-balanced bottle.
Exactly what wines can be aged? Generally there are certain recommendations when it comes to which wines really should and shouldn't be aged, but these are merely suggestions, not hard and fast rules. The majority of wines out of California for instance are made to consumed right away, and shouldn't be aged at all. And, many white wines are also not meant to be aged, as they have a much lower level of tannins than red wine. It's the tannins that are found in red wine that make it possible for the wine to improve with age. Truth be told there are a few white wines, that will improve with a few of years of aging. Also, a lot of wines priced less than $25 do not need to be aged. French wines are recommended to age and mature over a number of years. But, there tends to be exceptions to these rules. If you venture inside any wine shop, and inquire which wines they would likely suggest for aging. Your local vender sould be able to propose several ideal wines, alongside with some ideas of exactly how long to age the wine.
So,, Exactly how do I age wine? The ideal storage is crucial for a wine to age well. Lower temperature ranges slow down the aging process, permitting time for the complexity of the wine to progress. The wine should always be stored at a consistent environment of 50-60 degrees F. Rising and falling temperatures will result in the wine and the cork to expand and contract, loosening the cork, and subjecting the wine to outside oxygen. Wine should always be stored on it's side, so to insure the wine is always in touch with the cork, this keeps it from drying out. Finally, the storage space ought to be dark, and have plenty of humidity to protect the cork once again from drying out.
As soon as you have an adequate storage area for all of your wine, go to your neighborhood wine shop, and attain their recommendations on a good aging wine. Purchase a case of wine, and then open up one of the bottles once you get home and taste it. Place the remainder of the bottles in storage, and begin opening them after a few of years, and observe how the flavors and the complexity of the wine have transformed. A new bottle of wine might be good, but a perfectly aged bottle is even better.
