subject: Why Red Wine Lovers Need a Wine Aerator [print this page] Why Red Wine Lovers Need a Wine Aerator Why Red Wine Lovers Need a Wine Aerator
Red wines take longer to open up or "breathe" than white or blush varieties. This can mean hours in a traditional decanter for maximum drinkability. The darker the wine, the longer it may need to air. You can save yourself some valuable time by using a wine aerator to tame the tannins that can pucker your cheeks and make a wonderful wine taste awful when it's first out of the bottle.What are Tannins?Tannins are organic compounds that are found naturally in grape seeds, skins and stems. They add part of the complex flavor of wine, often causing a tart or puckering sensation on the tongue at the back of the mouth. Wine makers use specific extraction processes to control the amount of tannins present in each specific variety of wine.Tannin is controlled by the amount of time the juice is in contact with skins, seeds and stems, and is responsible for the sediment sometimes found in heavier bottles of red. The time ageing in the barrel also contributes to the distribution of tannins, as the oak itself contributes to the overall tannin level.Tannins are essential to wine's ageing process 'the anti-oxidant properties allow wines to develop complexity and character while maintaining their integrity and drinkability.The puckery sensation sometimes accompanied by a bitter aftertaste is described as "tannic". The astringent, bitter sensation can be unpleasant to new wine drinkers. Recent efforts to control "hard" tannins while allowing "soft" tannins to remain has revolutionized the California wine industry, by allowing younger vintages to achieve a complexity that wasn't before possible.By the GlassIf you like to enjoy your full-bodied red wine by the glass, without decanting an entire bottle, you may benefit from a versatile aerator.Many can change settings from bottle to glass, and aerates in seconds. One particular model is notable as it makes it's aerators from several jewel-tones polycarbonate plastics, as opposed to the higher-priced glass aerators which are known to chip and crack.If you are concerned about tannin sediment or under-aerating your wine, you may wish to examine the color through the bottle. The very darkest of wines may benefit from both double aeration, though in most cases one use of a well-constructed aerator should be sufficient. Sediment generally collects at the bottom of the bottle, so the final glass will need to be watched as it's poured.To learn more about the benefits of oxygenating your wine, or to browse a selection of wine glass and bottle aerators, visit one of the many websites on the subject.
