![]() ![]() When wine is exposed to air, and more precisely to oxygen, oxidation and evaporation begin. (The tannins are the elements in wine that provide a drying sensation on the palate.) What exactly happens to wine when it is exposed to air? Breathing helps the wine become more interesting, and it can help to harmonize a wine’s structure, particularly its tannins. When you let a wine breathe, it begins to release those aroma compounds and expands its range of smells. Wine is packed with volatile aroma compounds that are released and evolve upon contact with oxygen. The point of aerating wine or, better yet – in my opinion, decanting wine is letting wine “breathe”. The Oxford Companion to Wine also says, “The decanter as we know it today has changed form very little in the last 250 years, in that it is a handleless, clear glass bottle with a capacity of about one liter….” So, gosh, it is certainly seems exciting to welcome some innovation with these wine aerators! Why do you let wine “breathe”? (Hope everyone is wearing black! Sounds splashy!) While wine aerators go against the above, academic definition of “aeration”, they absolutely work toward the benefits provided by decanting wine. The Oxford Companion to Wine also suggests that decanting might involve ”pouring wine into another vessel from a great height or back and forth into another vessel”. Let’s flip to “decanting” in the same book. ![]() The aim of tools marketed as wine “aerators” is not to control, but rather to maximize, air and oxygen exposure. So, if we get our geek on, a “wine aerator” isn’t the best name for these devices. The wine industry bible, The Oxford Companion to Wine, defines wine aeration as, “The deliberate and controlled exposure of a substance to air, and particularly to its reactive component, oxygen.” What does an aerator do? Let’s start by defining aeration. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |