Does red wine also get better with age?

The better the wine, the more it can withstand aging. Wines on the market that are over 90% cannot be aged and are best drank within 2 years. Wine with aging value is generally more expensive. Of course, conversely, the more expensive the wine, the more likely it is to have a stronger aging ability when brewed. Of course, the high-priced wines produced in China are not included in this category. So if you want to buy some wine to store and drink it after 7-8 years, you still have to consider economic issues.

Basic concepts of aging

When it comes to aging, there are some basic concepts that need to be clarified. These basic concepts describe the evolution of a bottle of wine throughout its life. After wine is bottled, it undergoes a change process in the bottle. This process can basically be divided into a rising period, a drinking period, and a declining period.

The so-called rising period is the stage when wine develops and matures in the bottle. Not all wines have this stage. Most New World wines, even top-notch wines, can be released immediately after being released on the market. Drink it. However, some old world wines have a more obvious rising period. They are not suitable for drinking when they first come out, or are too sour and unbalanced, or are very closed and have no aroma. They need to continue to develop and mature in the bottle for several years before they change. It must be perfectly smooth.

The drinking period is the stage when the wine becomes relatively perfect and smooth, and when it develops to the best and most balanced stage, it is called the peak stage. After the wine has passed its peak period, it begins to decline slowly, losing a lot of aroma, and the taste gradually loses balance. It enters the decline stage, becomes unfit for drinking, and even turns rancid into vinegar.

Aging and preservation conditions

Some people have conducted research on the aging of wine, and ultimately found that the greatest impact on wine aging is oxygen. Someone once did an experiment where wine was divided into 6 different test tubes, 3 of which were full, and the other 3 were only half filled, leaving half of the air, and then plugged with stoppers. After opening and tasting at different times, it was found that the wine in the test tubes with air left in it can become as if it has been aged for several years in just a few months.

The change of wine in the bottle is a slow process. The cork can slowly transmit oxygen, allowing the wine to continue to develop in the bottle. Too harsh a storage environment will accelerate this process, causing the wine to mature too quickly, causing the wine to become rough and even go rancid quickly. Wine needs to be kept away from light and shock, with a temperature of 10-18 degrees and a humidity of about 70-80 degrees. It is best to store it horizontally. Other methods will speed up the maturation of the wine and even turn the wine into a bottle of vinegar.

Aging and wine types

The wines that can be aged mainly include high-end dry red wine, sweet white wine, top-quality dry white wine, vintage champagne and port wine.

Red wine contains tannin, which itself is an antioxidant, so the amount of tannin plays an important role in the aging ability of the wine (of course, heavier is not better). Tannins take time to soften, and through appropriate contact with oxygen and the reaction of other substances in the wine, they can generate new substances and increase the complexity of the wine. Except for Beaujolais Nouveau, which needs to be drunk within a few months, most dry red wines can be stored for 1 to 2 years without any problem. Higher-end dry red wines also need to be aged for a period of time to develop into a drinkable period.

Dry white wine is generally in the drinking period as soon as it is released on the market. It can be opened and drank. Moreover, white wine has no tannin and can be aged for a relatively short time. Of course there are some very top white wines that can be aged for quite a long time, but those are very rare. Most sweet liquors have a certain aging ability. Non-vintage Champagne can also be drunk as soon as it is released without aging. But some expensive non-vintage champagne, vintage champagne and premium champagne (Cuvee Prestige) can be aged for 10-20 years, or even longer. As it ages, Champagne becomes more refined but slowly loses its vibrancy and power.

Port wine is special. It is produced after a long period of aging and can continue to age in the bottle for a long time, especially vintage port wine.

However, it is currently relatively rare in the domestic market.

Aging and Wine Year

The quality of the wine year determines the quality of the wine, and accordingly determines the aging ability of the wine. If the year is rainy and humid, and the grape skins are thin and watery, the wine in such a year will generally mature quickly and cannot be aged. In hot and dry years, the grape skins are thicker and the wine produced has stronger tannins and better aging ability.

The aging ability of wine mainly depends on the "potential" of the wine, which comes from the tannin, acidity, aroma substances, etc. of the wine. The better the wine, the more of these components it contains, and the better it will be. Gaining more complexity through aging. Earlier I briefly talked about some factors that affect aging. To know specifically how long a wine can last, the best way is to taste it. Of course, some experience is required. The best way is to buy a dozen bottles of a wine and open one bottle every 3-6 months to see how it develops. The simple method is to open a bottle of wine and drink it slowly. If it maintains a stable structure for a long time, it can be left for a while.

Aging, grape varieties and origin

Grape varieties have a great influence on wine aging. As mentioned earlier, tannin is an important indicator of the maturation ability of red wine. Different grape varieties, thick or thin skins, and different tannins in the wines produced will also affect the aging ability of the wine.

As for white grape varieties, most white wines cannot be aged. For certain varieties from specific origins, some have good aging capabilities.

Riesling: German QmP grades and above have good aging capabilities, and some BA and TBA grade Rieslings can age for a long time. The Riesling dry white produced by Alsace in France can also be aged for more than 10 years. In addition to Riesling, several other noble varieties of Alsace such as Muscat, Pinot Gris, and Gerwuztraminer can also be aged for a long time, sometimes for more than 10 years.

Sauvignonlanc: Most Sauvignon should be drank as soon as possible , whether from the Loire Valley in France or New Zealand, California, etc. Only dry white wine from Bordeaux, which is a blend of Sauvignon and Semillon, can be aged for a certain period of time.

Chardonnay: Chardonnay can be aged longer than Sauvignon. Burgundy’s GrandCru and Chablis’ GrandCru can be aged for more than 10 years.

The red grape varieties that can be aged are those with thick skins. Of course, the better the wine, the more aged it will be.

Cabernet Sauvignon: As a widely planted grape variety, Cabernet Sauvignon has good aging ability, whether in the New World or the Old World. Of course, as the place where the world recognized Cabernet Sauvignon, in the Bordeaux region of France, fine wines take a longer time to mature and reach the drinking period. Wines like Chateau Latour may take up to 15-20 years, and Chateau Montrose may take even longer. In the New World, there are fewer such problems. Even top-quality wines can be drunk without aging when they are first released, but they can still be aged for a long time.

Syrah/Shiraz: It is also a variety that can be aged, whether it is Hermitage from the North Long River, Cote Rotie or the top Shiraz from South Australia.

Tempranillo: It is the main force of Rioja wine and can be aged for a long time. Some Rioja Gran Reserva has been aged for nearly 10 years before it is released on the market, but after it is released, it can still be aged for 10 years. years and above.

Nebbiolo: A noble variety from Piemonte in northern Italy. Barbaresco and Barolo brewed from this variety can be aged for 10-15 years.

Pinot Noir: It is the main variety of Burgundy, but it is planted all over the world. This is a thin-skinned variety and matures relatively quickly. Only GrandCru from Burgundy can have super long aging ability.

Gamay: Almost the grape variety that cannot be aged the most, Beaujolais Nouveau needs to be drunk within 3 months. Only a few Beaujolais Cru can be aged for a long time, such as Moulina Vent, Morgon, etc. (You can refer to the previous article of BeaujolaisCrus)

Generally speaking, old world wines, especially good red wines, need to continue to develop in the bottle for a period of time after being released to reach the drinking period, but New World wines generally There is no need to do this.