Which wines need aerating?
Discussion on which wines need aerating?
Have you ever wondered which wines need aerating? Well you are not alone. Many wine drinkers have pondered this small but significant question over the centuries. In our previous article we discussed why we would want or need to let wine breathe or aerate.
This short article on which wines need aerating may help with your future decision making when looking at particular wines. Both red and white wines can benefit from adding some air in order to reduce the impact of the natural tannin in the wine. The aeration process gives an immediate improvement in taste and smell. When the wines are softer and much more subtle it might take a professional to detect the change but on the whole everyone can notice some difference in the wine if a before and after tasting is done. This article helps to explain why it is easier to detect tannins in some wines than others.
Red Wines to Aerate:
When we think about which red wines need aerating we can assume almost all young red wines will improve from wine aeration. Some more factory made wines might be too soft for the amateur wine taster to detect a big difference. So some of the tannin content of wine is in part connected to the way the wine is made- old world techniques or new world volume made wine with a blending to make the brand stable irrespective of the year. These types of wine have a place in the market as do unique wines made in smaller vineyards. Our article is on the whole thinking about the small to medium sized wine producers who take more time to make the wine, use oak barrels and either a single grape or a variety of grapes in the process. Each year they produce a wine which is unique to that year.
When thinking about which wines need aerating, it is true that some wines have much higher tannin content than others due in part to the type of grape and in part to the wine- making techniques. Red wines made from Cabernet grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignons, Cabernet Francs are known for the tannin content whether they are made in the New or Old world. This point is also true for Barolo, Bordeaux, Northern Rhône Valley , many Italian and Spanish wines. Therefore these wines will benefit significantly from wine aeration and it is easy for novices to detect the difference immediately both in smell and taste.
The main reason for taking time to consider which wines need to be aerated is the outcome or the effect it has on the wine and wine drinking experience. The effect of aeration is to give you a more balanced wine- softened tannins, enhanced flavours and releasing the bouquet like a fine perfume which is held in the air. The aromas are enhanced by wine aeration as the process has the effect of reducing the high carbon dioxide levels that can be found in younger wines and the accompanying odour that can mask a wine’s true aroma.
Using a purpose designed wine aerator, such as the WineWeaver®, will also have a benefit on older red wines that may have developed some sediment. The WineWeaver® wine aerator helps to capture particles as the wine in the natural aeration process. Needless to say, by pouring the wine out of the bottle slowly some of the heavier sediment will actually stay in the bottom of the bottle. If you wondered what the sommelier was doing with his candle, well, in truth he is looking at the sediment in the bottle as he pours and as a specialist he knows which wines are famed for their sediment content. Wines with a great deal of sediment and a very high tannic content will benefit from being aerated through the WineWeaver® directly into a decanter especially as the sediment can have a bitter taste.
The WineWeaver® has both a decanter setting and a wine-by-the glass setting. Bearing in mind that the older a wine is, the more delicate it can be, so always opt to aerate with a natural wine aeration method that will respect the nature of the wine, rather than a more vigorous one.
Which white wines need aerating?
Whilst not as common as red wine aeration, white wine aeration is becoming increasingly popular with many of the heavier whites improving with wine aeration. White wine aeration can improve your wine’s smoothness and harmony between the flavours as well as helping to reveal their true personality.
We have found that Chennin, Burgundy and even Chardonnay are white wines which need aerating to improve the taste. Whilst the improvements with white wine aeration may be more subtle than with red wine aeration and developing your palate to taste the difference can be both enjoyable and rewarding.
So if you love your wine, love someone else who loves wine, the WineWeaver® wine aerator is a must have accessory, so don’t wait any longer to enjoy better wine, buy it now.
