Wine aging really isn’t an art form, but there are a few rules, the first one being to avoid drinking your wine the day after you bottle it. The second one is that aging wine to perfection is really a matter of personal preference.
After being bottled, wine goes into what is termed as ‘bottle shock’. It needs time to sit and allow the flavours and aromas to change.
It’s the tannins, the chemicals that come from the grape skins and seeds that need taming. Tannin, more prominent in red wines, when not properly aged makes your mouth feel dry after a couple of glasses. With aging, the tannins mellow and taste less harsh.
White wines have less tannin and therefore require less aging. However, watch for those highly acidic whites, and age them the same as a red.
In between fermenting and bottling, wine needs time to settle. Settling can occur in stainless steel containers or vats, or small oak barrels that influence the taste of the wine.
Have you heard the wine term ‘oaked’? Oak barrelling wine allows the oxygen to be introduced very slowly while influencing the final taste. As a barrel is used, less and less of the oak taste is introduced into the wine, ranging from 50% the first use to less than 25% after the third use.
While there are recommended times for each of the Wine Butler wine kits, we like to encourage our customers to experiment to see what they like best. Some wine drinkers may prefer a wine after it’s aged 6 months, while others are happy to drink the same wine after 3 months.
Making your own craft wine is a great way to learn about all things wine. And sharing that knowledge and skill is even better. Impress your friends by giving them a bottle of your craft wine and then explain the difference in aging.
The Wine Butler would like to remind all it’s customers, to always drink responsibly.