How many times have you heard the quote, “ageing like fine wine.”? It’s a popular expression describing something or someone getting better with age. But do all types of wines get tastier with time? And if they do, how does it work? Well, according to the best wine cellar company in Australia, some types of wine taste better with cellaring or ageing.
Like humans, wines go through a clumsy adolescent phase where their chemicals interact, influencing their flavours and aromas. However, it does not happen to every wine.
If you are keen on learning how wines age and what types of wine age the best, keep scrolling! The following section will tell you everything you need to know about wine and its ageing chemicals.
Why Does Wine Get Better With Age? Learn From Top Wine Cellar Companies
Many types of wine don’t require ageing. Although, it does not mean they won’t benefit from a few years of rest in the bottle. Cellaring gives the wine ingredients more time to develop and interact, resulting in better flavours, colours and taste. Yet, it does not mean all types of wines get better with age.
How Wines Age?
Wines are a mixture of alcohol, phenolic acids, added flavours and other elements. The complex ingredient list of wines goes through constant change. They break down, connect and separate over time.
However, the primary ingredient that influences the ageing of wine is tannin. It’s a molecule originating from seeds, skins and stems of grapes. According to the top wine cellar company in Sydney, the antifungal properties in tannin make it astringent and bitter. Over time, tannin reacts with the oxygen entering the bottle, influencing the chemicals present in the drink.
It’s a slow process that is only effective when there's a limited amount of oxygen in the bottle. The wine particles will oxidise if you let a large amount of oxygen inside the bottle at once.
As tannins react with oxygen, it changes the feel and flavour of the drink. It creates a rich and complex taste that lingers in the mouth for a long period.
You can think of tannins as a natural preservative. A good amount and quality of tannins can preserve your wine for 40 years. However, tannins alone can’t improve the taste of a wine. Temperature, humidity, light exposure and the other ingredients in the drink also play a significant role.
Which Wines Age Better?
Not all types of wines age the same way. In fact, experts believe that wine manufacturers these days create 90% of wines with the intention of consumption within a year of production.
However, if you want to take up wine cellaring as a hobby, you may start with red wine. Red wine contains comparatively more tannins than white wine, making it better for ageing. White wines contain less tannin but a lot of natural acidities, making them ideal for quick consumption. According to experts, wine with low pH age the best.
Light-flavoured, refreshing wines, on the other hand, are perfect for youthful consumption, such as Provencal rosé and New Zealand sauvignon. These wines have bright, fruity notes that can diminish with ageing.
Alternatively, some drinks, like Margaret River cabernet sauvignon, include bold tannins. Some vintage liquor can be pretty intense at first and require a few years to settle down. For instance, the densely flavoured Penfolds Grange is at its once the flavours have softened and harmonised.
Summing Up
The belief that wine gets better is a bit misleading, considering not all wines age similarly. According to the best wine cellar company in Sydney, it’s essential to provide your wines with a suitable environment to preserve their flavours. Whether you want to age them or not, without a dedicated cellar, your loved drinks can grow mouldy and oxidised.
Author is an avid wine collector and a cellar designer. When she is not helping her clients build the cellar of their dreams, she loves to explore beautiful vineyards across the world.