Many people have concerns about the handling of wines in general but, in particular, red wine.
When they age, they become more fragile...- Bill Hermitage
I am often asked about their maturation or ageing potential as well as the breathing time they require or the need for decanting.
When it comes to the finer, more fragile wines, people want to know about the effects of agitation and how well they will travel or keep.
The majority of red wines are made for early drinking, requiring the minimum of maturation.
However, a couple of years on, any well-made red wine should, in many instances, improve.
To enable red wines to survive medium- or long-term ageing, the wines need good levels of tannin, acidity or alcohol but, more importantly, they must have a high level of fruit.
So to determine the aging potential or the way we need to handle, or prepare, the wine for drinking, we need to evaluate the wine’s structure and characteristics i.e. Is it full-bodied or light-bodied? Is it young or old? Is it low in tannins or high?
Red wines actually resemble us human beings.
When young and robust, they are full of life and vitality but they need room to grow so we give them space or time to breathe and develop.
When they age, they become more fragile and often need handling with care.
But these are the two extremes; in between there is a long period, hopefully, where they are sturdy and strong and can cope with temperature, humidity, light and movement if in moderation.
With time, they become more prone to damage as they lose their strength and mature into something much finer, complex and more delicate.
The older the wine, the longer it will take to recover from a journey, even if it is only a few metres long. Sediments are shaken up along with the wine and it should be left to stand for 12 to 24 hours before gently decanting.
Decanting any red wine will always be beneficial as it aerates the wine and lets it breathe.
The decanter has become an essential item as far as red wine service goes (all restaurant owners please take note!) as the process of opening a red wine, maybe hours beforehand, is not practical.
The decanter enables you to speed up the aeration process by giving more air and space for the wine to develop in. If there is no decanter available, remember the more air you give to the wine before you drink it,the better.
Here are two useful tips: Firstly, if you know you are going to drink a bottle of red wine as soon as you sit down, order it and open it straight away, don’t wait until you get to your main course.
That half an hour will make all the difference and don’t let them put the cork or screw cap on.
Secondly, if you forgot to do this or just changed your mind and wanted another bottle, open it and pour it straight into the glasses.
The red wine will breathe much quicker in the glass than in the bottle.
Finally, there is the question of the serving temperature and in our rather hot climate, that can be quite a problem, especially in summer.
When serving red wines, room temperature is the norm but be careful not to serve it too warm. It is better to serve it slightly cold to the touch and let it warm up on the table.
The reason red wines are traditionally drunk unchilled is because when a red wine becomes cold, the tannins in the wine taste bitter and metallic.
But if you like your wines cold, simply choose red wines that are low in tannin.
These tend to be the lighter-bodied red wines such as Medina Syrah, Carignan, Grenache, Medina Sangiovese and Pjazza Regina Red.
These Delicata wines are as delicious served cold as they are at room temperature.