As the popularity of wine continues to grow, so do rumors about it. As a wine lover, you must have heard many sayings such as “the wine gets better with age” and “the quality of the wine can be seen by hanging the glass”, so are they really true? Today, the editor has compiled some common wine rumors and refuted them one by one for everyone.
1. The longer the wine ages, the better?
In fact, all wines have a best drinking period, not the longer the better.
The life of a wine will go through four periods: rise, maturity, peak and decline. For those wines with excellent aging potential, their aroma has not been fully opened during the rising stage, and the taste is slightly jerky; after a period of aging, they usher in a mature period, the aroma gradually opens, and the taste gradually enters After further aging, the elements in the wine will reach a perfect balance, and the aroma, flavor and taste will reach the peak period of the ideal state; however, after the peak, the aroma and flavor of the wine will gradually fade away, and the taste will also follow. It became dull. So we need to choose the right time to drink these wines, not too early, not too late.
For those wines that are not suitable for aging, they reach their “peak” after bottling, and have been on a “downhill” since then. As a result, these wines have a short drinking period and should be enjoyed as soon as possible while young to appreciate their light and lively character and fresh, crisp fruit flavours. In fact, most wines on the market should be drunk as soon as possible within 3-5 years of their release.
2. Do you need to sober up before drinking wine?
Decanting refers to the process of slowly pouring wine from a bottle into another clean container (usually a decanter), allowing the wine to properly contact oxygen to fully release aroma and flavor and achieve a better drinking state.
Generally speaking, the need to sober up depends on the situation. For example, full-bodied red wines with higher acidity and tannin content, as well as heavy-bodied, full-flavored white wines, need to be decanted before drinking to help the wine better reveal its aroma and taste. For some simple and easy-to-drink red wines, fresh white wines and rosé wines, you can drink them directly without decanting. In addition, sparkling wines that do not have peculiar smells such as reducing odors and some red wines that have been aged for a long time and are in decline are also not suitable for sobering before drinking.
3. Does red wine need to be chilled?
Regarding the serving temperature of wine, many wine lovers know that “white wine and sparkling wine need to be chilled before drinking” and “red wine should be served at room temperature”, but does this mean that red wine does not need to be chilled? In fact, lighter-bodied, low-tannin red wines such as Beaujolais are usually best served lightly chilled to 13°C, while medium- or full-bodied red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon The ideal serving temperature is 15°C-18°C. In some cases, such as hot summer or tropical regions, the room temperature is actually much higher than the drinking temperature of red wine. At this time, we also need to slightly ice red wine to a suitable temperature to help them show better. Charm and personality.
