France is famous for its wines, and when it comes to the quality of a good aged wine, it is natural to mention the acidity of the wine, whether it is smooth, how strong it feels, etc. ……. If the wine is stored in as dark an environment as possible, and if the humidity is maintained, it will withstand the passage of time better. In short, it is hidden. Let’s talk about a few misconceptions about wine in today’s episode of French Food!
- The longer the better
Generally speaking, it is a common belief that the older something is, the better it is, but unfortunately, in the case of wine, this is a mistake. Simply put, a bad wine is still a bad wine, despite its age. It just gets older. And just because a wine has a commendable appellation of origin doesn’t mean that it will stand the test of time. In the 1970s, when oenology was still at a standstill and many of the lesser-known wines were still very young, this concept quickly took hold. It was hoped that with more years in the cellar the astringency of the wine would be reduced and the tannins would turn from hard to soft. But today’s technology has shown people how to make great wines from the very beginning. To be an aging wine, it must have acidity, smoothness, tannin (in the case of red wine), and strength from the beginning; all of which help the wine to resist time. If the wine is thin, it is unlikely to be able to resist. Worse yet, for most wines, aging is completely unnecessary. It should be understood that with age the aromas of a wine will give off the aromas of the forest in autumn: underbrush, mushrooms, leather, etc., and lose their original fruitiness. If the personality of a wine is distinctly fruity, it should be enjoyed at its best.
- Red wine lasts longer
It is not entirely true that red wine has a longer lifespan. In general, red wine is easier to collect than dry white or rosé wines. This is because red wine is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, valuable allies in the fight against aging. One can find them in the tannins and anthocyanins of the grape skin. With tannins and coloring, a full-bodied red wine is certainly appreciated. But other wines are comparable. Sweet white wines beat most red wines in terms of sweetness. After 50 to 80 years of cellaring, some wines survive because of their sweetness. Yellow wines from the Jura, for example, will not lose their color even after half a century of simple storage. Coexisting with its enemies, that is, in contact with oxygen, this wine has learned to protect itself. But the most surprising is still Champagne, which is delicate in nature, but it is protected by its rich carbon dioxide content (the famous bubbles emitted when it is opened).
- Bad wine is vinegar
Bad wine is vinegar? Vinegar is exactly the kind of wine that isn’t bad. If wine could be dressed up for Halloween, vinegar might be its best costume. In order to be a high quality vinegar, the wine must be colonized in air by acetic acid bacteria. Then it undergoes acetic acid fermentation and finally becomes a dressing suitable for salads. But to make a delicious vinegar, it is best to have a strong fruity flavor, so the wine used should not be too old. Ultimately, if the wine does not go through this stage, it may go completely bad, lose its proper flavor, and smell like pine.
- Bad is bad.
How should I know if a wine is bad? This is undoubtedly the most philosophical point of view. Unlike humans, wine has no signs of life to notice. For some people, wine is just wine, nothing special, but for others it is alive and vibrant. Sometimes, a glass of wine can awaken deep emotions in someone’s memory, excitement, pleasure, happiness, intoxication through its name, vintage, smell, taste, and aftertaste …….
- Unable to fight in the face of death
There is an old saying: helpless in the face of death. But that’s not necessarily true, at least for wine. The battle is very simple, and very fashionable: just collect the wine. Hide the wine, and time will slow down. Hide it in the dark, at a low temperature, but always with a little humidity. If you keep the wine at a constant temperature, you can even stop the wine from changing. Keep the wine bottled tightly in the refrigerator, and the refrigerator will break down first. This is why the champagne recovered from the 2010 shipwreck at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, which was estimated to have been at the bottom of the sea for 170 years, was of good quality. At a depth of 50 meters, the sea floor temperature was 4 degrees Celsius, and the champagne was not harmed in any way. Will this spark the idea of a new type of collection? Let’s just enjoy the tiny miracles that occur in a glass of wine! The resurrection of wine is more frequent than that of humans. Some wines, when opened, smell like nothing but a faint mildew, but slowly the flavor changes, like a bouquet of dark flowers in bloom, and then collapse after the last round of clinking of glasses, and in the course of a meal, wine triumphs over death.
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