The Art of Wine Making: Determining How Long to Age the Wine

Photo by Liv Kao on Unsplash

Aging of a wine before bottling is a balance between the wine’s inherent qualities and the winemaker's goals.

The decision often involves experimentation, understanding the vineyard, and following the wine’s natural development over time.

Here are some of the considerations that a wine maker may use when deciding how long to age a wine before they bottle it for sale:

• Grape Variety - Red grapes have more structure and tannin that allow for greater aging

• Acidity - Higher acidity wines are better suited for aging

• Alcohol Content - Higher alcohol wines generally age better

• Tannin - Tannin levels allow a wine to age better and the levels will reduce with aging

• Sugar - Higher residual sugar (RS) level allow a wine to age better

• Phenolic Compounds - Wines with a higher concentration of phenolics can age better

• Oak Barrels - New barrels impart significant flavor while used barrels impart little flavor

• Vintage Characteristics - Different vintages can age better than others

But, probably the most important factor used in making the wine-aging decision is the wine maker’s intended style. Wine aging is a balance of science and art, and the winemaker's vision for the final product plays a significant role in determining how long a wine will be aged before it’s released for consumption.

Some winemakers strive for wines with complexity and depth, which often requires extended aging. With time, a red wine will develop secondary and tertiary flavors—things like earthiness, leather, tobacco, and dried fruits—along with more rounded, integrated flavors.

But, if a winemaker is aiming for a fresher, fruitier style of red wine they may not age the wine as long, instead focusing on preserving the bright, youthful flavors of the grape. These wines are often released young to emphasize their freshness and fruit-forward style.

The bottom line is that wine makers balance many factors in determining the optimal aging time for each wine. They use their experience and talent to influence how a wine will develop over time. Ultimately, the goal is to allow the wine to reach a point where the components are in harmony and meets or exceeds the expectations of the wine maker. Truly an art! Cheers!

How Fermentation and Aging Affect a Wine's Aroma

Last time we looked specifically at how oak affects the flavor of wine. There we learned that oak can be used in the fermentation process and/or the aging process to add various flavors to the wine. But before you take a first sip of wine, swirl your wine in your glass and then stick your nose into the top of the glass and experience all the wonderful aromas that the wine has to offer.

First and foremost, a wine’s aroma is based on the grape that is used in the wine. So, fruity aromas are those that are up-front. In white wines these aromas can include those of tropical fruits, melons, and citrus. In red wines you’ll find red fruit, black fruit and dried fruit aromas. So, these set the foundation for a wine’s aroma.

Now, let’s take a look at how the fermentation and aging process affect a wine’s aroma. First, fermentation - the process that turns the grape’s natural sugars to alcohol. And, the key ingredient in fermentation is yeast. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the yeast is a factor in a wine’s aroma. While the yeast doesn’t play a major role in a wine’s aroma, it can give a wine hints of fresh baked bread, butter, cream and cheese.

Then there’s the aging process. And, here aging in oak can yield a variety of aromas, some directly from the wood and others from the small amount of oxygen a wooden barrel allows inside. Depending on type of oak and how the barrel is toasted, it can lead to sweet aromas that including vanilla, caramel, brown sugar and butterscotch. The introduction of oxygen in the barrel can lead to nutty aromas. And, a heavily toasted oak barrel can even introduce aromas of smoke, tobacco, cigar and dried leaves.

So, don’t forget ‘smell’ as part of the five-Ss in wine tasting. Try it with your next glass of wine and see how many aromas you can pick out. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2015 1000 Stories Zinfandel ($18)

I’ve had my eyes on this one for a while now. It differentiates itself by noting on the front label that it is “Bourbon Barrel Aged.” Aging wines in oak barrels is common, but I’ve not seen a wine aged in Bourbon barrels.

So, I was actually a bit hesitant. I’m not into gimmicky wines. And, I certainly don’t need a Bourbon-flavored wine.

This 1000 Stories Zinfandel is aged in new and used Bourbon barrels. But, don’t let that dissuade you. The barrels do not impart a big or smoky flavor. Actually, I found this Zinfandel on the fruity side.

So, the back label states that the Bourbon barrels impart “…charred vanilla, dried herbs and a hint of caramel.” Just what you’d expect from an oak barrel.

If the “Bourbon Barrel Aged” 1000 Stories Zinfandel has not been on your list, give it a try. It’s a worthy Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week with its attainability and affordability. Cheers!