Does age really matter in the quality of wine?

Answer 1

Some wines do, but most wines don’t. More than 90 percent of all wine worldwide is meant to be consumed within one year, and less than 1 percent of the world's wine is meant to be aged for more than five years.

Only some select wines are designed to age for extended periods so that their bold tannins (natural preservatives found in grape skins) have time to mellow.

Answer 2

When wine sits in the barrel or the bottle, the flavors, aromas, and colors change. Not every wine will benefit from aging. A bottle made to be opened immediately, as most wines today are, will turn brown and lose all of its fruit character if you cellar it for years. The wines that age best, chief among them Bordeaux, have relatively high levels of tannins and acidity. Tannins are a category of chemicals that come from grape skins and seeds. They have an astringent, somewhat bitter taste and make your mouth feel dry. But over time, tannins "soften" because they polymerize, or form long chains with each other. The tannin polymer molecules feel and taste less harsh, says Ken Fugelsang, a professor of enology at California State University-Fresno. As a wine ages, it also develops a stronger aroma. Before tannins chain up, they "hold on" to volatile aroma chemicals, keeping them from evaporating, says John Clews, vice president of vineyard and winery operations for Clos Du Val in Napa, California. Like cut apples, vino turns brown when it comes into contact with the air. As it sits in the barrel or in a bottle with a cork (which is porous and lets a little air in), a new red wine, initially deep purple, turns reddish, then slightly orange, then dull brown. In whites, the wine first loses the greenish hue that marks a very young bottle, then develops a golden-brown tinge. Just as lemon juice keeps cut fruit from browning, acid in wines slows the oxidation process, which means that acidic wines are better candidates for long aging. Oxygen also affects the aroma and flavor of wine. In the best-case scenario, fruit flavors and smells in young wines fade and combine with wood and alcohol notes to produce something that's more winy than fruity. Age a wine further and you'll get leathery, earthy notes in a red and nutty, bready flavors in a white alongside the fruit, Clews says. It's this complexity that inspires connoisseurs to pay hundreds of dollars for a long-aged bottle. These reactions aren't totally understood by chemists. In fact, the jury's still out on how screw caps, which create a virtually airtight seal and are relatively new, will affect aging. Both acid and tannins act as preservatives, slowing oxidation and decelerating the flavor-changing reactions. Whites, which are very low in tannins, are less worthy candidates for aging. But highly acidic grapes like Chenin Blanc and Riesling are exceptions. Some German Rieslings, which are extra-acidic thanks to a cool climate and long growing season, can age even longer than many red wines, says Mulan Chan, French regional and Rhône Valley wine buyer for K & L Wine Merchants. Another exception is white Burgundies. The Chardonnay grapes that go into these wines are grown at much cooler temperatures in Burgundy than they are in California, raising their acid content. So how do wine critics decide that one year's crop of Bordeaux will be best in 12 years and another's in 30? By considering how previous vintages in a particular style and from a particular region fared and how the weather from the year of the vintage in question affected tannins and acidity in the grapes, it's possible to make an educated guess about when a wine will be best. But it's mostly a matter of personal taste, Clews says. However, there are a few wine-analysis companies out there that can measure tannin and acid profiles and by comparing them to other wines can scientifically determine how a wine will age. Though the practice isn't common, it's catching on, Fugelsang says.f25p7

Answer 3

It is a myth that "wine improves with age." Most wine does not improve after it has been released for sale. Some wines (especially Burgundy) often have very high tannic acid levels and are unpleasant when purchased. Therefore, they have to age so that the tannic acid breaks down.

Answer 4

Yes

Depending on the vintage and careful storage yes, some wines do in fact improve with age both in the cask and after bottling. White wines generally should be consumed quickly (within a few months or years) while some reds can and do benefit from aging.

Answer 5

Yes - over time, the sugar in the Grape Juice/wine is eaten and converted by any bacteria in the wine (usually yeast) to alcohol; this is called fermentation. In wine-making, there are things you can add to the wine to slow fermentation, but it will still occur a little bit in the bottle.

Answer 6

Good winetesters look at the appearance, aroma, taste, and aftertaste of wine. This allows them to understand the complexity and ageablility of the wine and reveals any faults. Age does matter in the quality of wine, the best wines are several years old.

Answer 7

ciertos vinos, normalmente al pasar medio o un año pues saben mal, pero a comparacion de otros que si saben bien. puede depende de muchos factores como el proceso por el cual pasa esa botella de vino y/o los ingredientes que utilizan.

Answer 8

It depends on the wine some ones taste terrible and others can taste the slightest bit better but if you let Bourbon age it will taste way better than if you do not

Answer 9

Liquor does not age or improve after bottling.

Answer 10

Its funny and strange, but yes. I couldnt drink wine when I was 21, it was too bitter for me. But after a few years, my taste changed.