Gewürztraminer Wine: Aging & Storing
Many people are confused about the subject of aging wines. Some don’t realize that wines change in the bottle. Some think that wines will last forever or that the best quality wines will continue to improve forever. Some think that only red wines improve with age.
Most white wines are intended for drinking within two to three years after the vintage date. With proper storage, certain wines can improve with age. Improper storage can ruin a good wine in a day; remember this when transporting your wines purchased while vacationing. On a hot day, the heat buildup in a car can be detrimental to the wine's condition.
The words aging and storing are often used interchangeably, but they don't mean exactly the same thing. Storing time refers to the period during which a wine maintains a pleasant and relatively harmonious aroma and taste. Aging, on the other hand, refers to the reactions that occur in the bottle (or the barrel), that gradually improve the wine or, unfortunately, lead to its decline. Aging is a phenomenon that occurs according to a cycle, during the storing period. For a certain time, the taste of the wine becomes more refined, reaching the peak of its taste and then slowly losing quality until the very end of the storing cycle.
Every winery has different methods, and low-quality wines of a type won't last nearly as long as high quality wines of the exact same type. Also, wines from good years last much longer than wines from poor years.
Also, keep in mind that part of what helps a wine age is the Sulfites in it. Sulfites are natural preservatives found on all grapes. If you buy a low-sulfite wine, it will tend not to last for very long.
Acidity: Describes a tart or sour taste in the mouth when total of the wine is high. "Tart" and "twangy" are two descriptors for acidity. The proper acidity level in a wine gives it a fresh taste. But if the acidity is too high, then the wine will taste sour or tart; some:
White wines that have good acid levels should also improve with age.
Medium sweet Gewürztraminer wines will respond to aging; time acts on the "sugars" making them more honey-like to the taste.
What's
the Problem with Sulfites?
Sulfite allergies are a problem for some wine drinkers. For
them, the sulfites can lead to serious headaches. White wines have more sulfites
than red wines, so this can be a way to determine if sulfites might be the
problem. Sulfites, used improperly, can also give a rotten- egg smell to a wine.
There is no consensus on any other problems caused by sulfites. What's
Different about a Wine Without Sulfites? A wine without sulfites is
drinkable by those allergic to sulfites. It cannot last long, however - usually
18 months is the longest a sulfite-free wine would survive.
The greatest aging potential, however is large format bottles stored at uniform temperatures (optimally 55-65 degrees). Warmer temperatures speed up the aging process. The cooler the temperature, the slower the aging, the greater the ultimate complexity. When temperatures vary the wine expands (when it is warm) and contracts (when it is cool) and the corks may push out or pull in accordingly, allowing a tiny amount of oxygen into the bottle. If enough oxygen enters the bottle, over time it will spoil the wine. Gradual changes in temperature over the seasons are not really harmful. Sudden daily temperature changes, such as variations of several degrees from day to night, are of greater concern. Of course, in order for a wine to age properly it must also be stored properly.
Position is important too. It is important for wine to be in contact with the cork so that the cork does not dry out, thus allowing oxygen to come in contact with the wine. Stored wine bottles are normally kept in a horizontal position, although many wineries store and ship bottles in an inverted position. Shock or agitation to aging wine bottles can disturb the sediment (not generally found in white wines) and affect the aging process.
It's all about tannins, which, for the most part, are lacking in white wines, otherwise they wouldn't be "white wines". Tannins are the astringent and bitter group of compounds found in the seeds and skins of grapes. In addition to giving wine an agreeable astringency (that slight "pucker" feeling), tannins impart great aging potential to wine by slowing oxidation.
Astringency. Sensation of taste, caused by tannins in wine, which is best described as mouth-drying, bitter, or puckery.
To educate yourself on aging wine, buy a case or two that your wine merchant identifies as having aging potential. Store the wine properly and take a bottle out from time to time and drink it. It is a good idea to keep notes on how the wine is changing and developing, especially in the aroma, flavors and astringency of the wine.
Any opened bottle of wine, red or white, needs to be put into the refrigerator to try to preserve it for even a few days. Having air come in contact with a wine is sort of like fast-aging the wine. For a wine to remain drinkable after having been exposed to air, it needs to be capable of aging in the first place. Otherwise it will turn into an 'over-aged' wine and become undrinkable. This is not in the sense that it is now dangerous to drink - a wine doesn't go 'bad'. However, it will taste awful!
What do you do with a half-filled wine bottle?
 | Simply cork one bottle and
stick it into the refrigerator. 750ml bottle, half empty.
| Vacu-vin a bottle and stick
it into the refrigerator. 750ml bottle, air "removed".
| Apply gas to a bottle and
stick it into the refrigerator. 750ml bottle, layer of gas on wine.
| Decant the wine into a
half-bottle and stick it into the refrigerator. 375ml bottle, NO air. | |
Choose the type of short-term best suited to your favorite wine, life-style and pocketbook.
Storing Wine - Long Term (Cellaring / Aging)
There are two kinds of aging: in a wooden cask (barrel) or other container, and in the bottle. The first is entirely the job of the winemaker, and the second may also be partly under the wine-maker's control. But bottle aging is more the job of the merchant or, increasingly, the final purchaser of the wine. Some wines need no aging and are ready to drink when sold. Others gain from a few months in bottle but they, and the first group, rapidly lose freshness if kept in the bottle too long.
Optimum conditions for storing wine include stable temperatures around 55°, humidity of approximately 80%, and darkness -- the exact environment of a cave, or of many a cool, damp basement.
The ideal cellar or wine storage temperature is 55-65 degrees F. Cool temperatures slow the aging process, increasing complexity and varietal character of the wine over time. Likewise, high temperatures speed the aging process, preventing a wine from developing complexity over time. However, it is preferable to store wine at a constant temperature which may a be a bit warmer or cooler than the ideal 55-65 degrees F. Temperature fluctuations cause wine to expand and contract, which causes the cork to push out and pull in and eventually may loosen and expose the wine to oxygen.
A higher, warmer temperature causes premature aging, although not in a "good" way. If a wine is kept over 85°F for even a single month, irreparable damage is done to it.
Note that cold temperature can be just as bad. Don't store a bottle of Champagne in your fridge, waiting for the perfect day to drink it. When that day arrives, the Champagne won't be much to celebrate. You can keep wine in the fridge for a day or two, but if it looks like you'll need longer before you're ready to open it, bring it back down to your cellar.
Humidity is also important when storing wine. Humidity levels over 80% may encourage mold, while extremely dry conditions may cause high levels of evaporation and exposure to oxygen, spoiling the wine.
Wine stored in darkness is more likely to retain its clarity. Light reacts to proteins in the wine to form a haze as well as other unpleasant effects, such as off aromas and flavors. As such, white wines are usually the most susceptible to sunlight.
At home, basements are usually ideal for storing wine because of their cool, constant temperature and darkness. If no basement is available, consider storing wine in a little-used closet in an air-conditioned part of your home. If you are planning a serious wine collection and have no suitable storage location, wine storage systems are available from a number of manufacturers. These offer ideal insulation as well as adjustable temperature and humidity conditions.
Vibration-free: Vibration (from appliances or motors) can travel through wine and be detrimental to its development. Is it a problem? Ignore the rumors about vibrations affecting a wine. Scientific studies have been done, and there is no sign that vibrations affect a wine. It may stir up the sediment, but nothing more.
Odor-free: The storage area should be free from chemical odors, such as cleaners, household paints, etc.
Wine phenolics.
- Waterhouse ALAnn N Y Acad Sci 2002 May;957:21-36.
Wine contains many phenolic substances, most of which originate in the grape berry. The phenolics have a number of important functions in wine, affecting the tastes of bitterness and astringency, especially in red wine. Second, the color of red wine is caused by phenolics. Third, the phenolics are the key wine preservative and the basis of long aging. Lastly, since phenolics oxidize readily, they are the component that suffers owing to oxidation and the substance that turns brown in wine (and other foods) when exposed to air. Wine phenolics include the non-flavonoids: hydroxycinnamates, hydroxybenzoates and the stilbenes; plus the flavonoids: flavan-3-ols, the flavonols, and the anthocyanins. While polymeric condensed tannins and pigmented tannins constitute the majority of wine phenolics, their large size precludes absorption and thus they are not likely to have many health effects (except, perhaps, in the gut). The total amount of phenols found in a glass of red wine is on the order of 200 mg versus about 40 mg in a glass of white wine.
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