The Basics In Wine Aging
Aging wine is an art and a science, with a long history that wine lovers and connoisseurs alike have enjoyed for centuries.
No better feeling can compare than turning a young, vibrant drink into a mature classic for you to enjoy.
Though it is perishable, it must be kept healthy while it is young, stored properly in a wine cellar or refrigerator. The complex chemical reactions involving a wine's sugars, acids and phenolic compounds, such as tannins, can alter the aroma, color, mouth feel and taste of the wine, and will cause the it to mature well by gaining a complex mix of complimentary flavors.
The wine has the ability to age and the potential to improve its quality with age, which is influenced by many factors including grape variety, vintage, viticultural practices, region and winemaking style. How well wine ages can also be influenced by the condition that the wine is kept in after bottling. So wines must be stored properly in the right conditions, as this will determine how it reacts to its environment and, ultimately, how it ages.
Here are some tips about better wine aging:
1.Take note of the proper temperature and humidity
Heat fluctuations and dry or too much humidity can hasten a wine's deterioration as well as cause adverse effects on the wines. A cooler has a constant humidity and temperature for optimum storage conditions.
In general, to enhance a wine's greater potential to develop complexity and more aromatic bouquet, you must allow the wine to age slowly in a relatively cool environment. The lower the temperature, the more slowly a wine develops. According to wine experts, wine intended for aging should be kept in a cool area with a constant temperature around 55F (13C) to as high as 69F (20C). Also, in aging wine, you should avoid extreme temperature fluctuations (such as repeated transferring of a wine from a warm room to a cool refrigerator) as this would be detrimental to the wine.
Appropriate amount of humidity must also be maintained as this is critical to preventing the corks from drying out.
Dry corks can cause oxidation by allowing wine to leak through and around the cork, and enabling air to enter the bottle. On the other hand, too much humidity will induce the development of mold and will damage the labels, negatively affecting the market value of fine wine. This is particularly important if you intend to sell your wine. So you should maintain humidity levels in the 60% to 75% range to keep the corks from drying out while preventing the formation of unwanted mold.
2. Store Bottle with Labels Down
This prevents dust, dirt and moisture to settle on the labels; thus, preventing the labels of your wines from degrading, which you must maintain and avoid damage to keep its resale value.
3. For Wines that you Want to Age Slowest, Keep it Near the Floor
This is because the coolest spot in your wine storage area will be at the bottom. And if you want your wine to develop complexity and more aromatic bouquet, then you must allow it to age slowly in a relatively cool environment as the lower the temperature, the more slowly a wine develops.
4. Store Wine Bottles at an Angle or Horizontally
This orientation will more likely make the cork to stay moist and not dry out if it is kept in constant contact with the wine. It also keeps the wine's ullage (the air bubble inside the bottle) at the top in partial contact with the cork, which is best in aging wine. Keeping the ullage near the top will enable a slower and more gradual oxidation and maturation process. Most shelves in a wine refrigerator enable you to store your wine bottles in this orientation.
5. Avoid Exposing the Bottles on Excessive Heat and Oxidation
This is because heat increases the rate at which wine ages or is oxidized. For every 18F increase in temperature, the wine's aging rate doubles. So, if you're storing wine at room temperature (73F), not in a wine cooler temperature of 55F, you will be cutting its aging potential in half.
by: Jean Maddocks
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