Aged Wine

Aging of wine

Aging improves the quality of some wines. This distinguishes wine from most other consumable goods. While wine is perishable and capable of deteriorating, complex chemical reactions involving a wine's sugars, acids and phenolic compounds can alter the aroma, color, mouthfeel and taste of the wine in a way that may be more pleasing to the taster. The ability of a wine to age is influenced by many factors including grape variety, vintage, viticultural practices, wine region and winemaking style. The condition that the wine is kept in after bottling can also influence how well a wine ages and may require significant time and financial investment. The quality of an aged wine varies significantly bottle by bottle, depending on the conditions under which it was stored and the condition of the bottle and cork. Thus it is said that rather than good old vintages, there are good old bottles. There is a significant mystique around the aging of wine, as its chemistry was not understood for a long time, and old wines are often sold for extraordinary prices. However, the vast majority of wine is not aged, and even wine that is aged is rarely aged for long; it is estimated that 90% of wine is meant to be consumed within a year of production, and 99% of wine within 5 years.

Ageing

Ageing is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi; whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In a broader sense, ageing can refer to single cells within an organism which have ceased dividing, or to the population of a species.

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice. It is produced and consumed in many regions around the world, in a wide variety of styles which are influenced by different varieties of grapes, growing environments, viticulture methods, and production techniques.

Wine red

The color wine, or wine red, also called bordeaux, vinous, or vinaceous, is a dark shade of red and brown. It is a representation of the typical color of red wine.

aged

Adjective

1. Old.
2. Having the age of.

Noun

1. Old people, collectively.

wine

Noun

1. An alcoholic beverage made by fermenting grape juice, with an ABV ranging from 5.5–16%.
2. An alcoholic beverage made by fermenting other substances, producing a similar ABV.

Verb

1. To entertain (someone) with wine.
2. To drink wine.