Let’s talk about sobriety today. Many people only know the word “sobriety”, but they don’t know what “sobriety” is. Just like everyone knows “love,” but they don’t know what love is. Let’s talk about the love of sobriety today.
First, we should remember that all alcohol has a sobering process, but some are short and some are long. Take a chestnut for example: it must go through a process from sleeping to decanting. Some people stay decant for a long time, while others stay decant for a short time. Wines that take a short time to decant are what we usually call “wines that don’t need to decant”, while wines that take a short time to decant are “wines that need to decant”.
Next, let’s discuss it from two points.
1.
Why do we need to decant?
1. To remove precipitates
The process of removing sediment, also known as “decanting”, is to pour out the sediment. Why is sobriety part of sobriety? Because in the process of sobriety, the wine will always be in contact with the air, producing a certain sobriety effect.
So how does precipitation occur?
Many people are hesitant when it comes to precipitation, wondering if they should dump it …… Think about it as a waste. We all know that precipitation is usually a collection of tannins, tartaric acid and pigments, so we should first determine the type of precipitation.
If it is a fine powder, it will break up in a twist. It is basically the normal precipitation or unfiltered residue left in the wine to preserve the nature of the wine before bottling, so you don’t need to be concerned about it.
If it is a crystalline precipitate with a particularly light and tasteless taste, it can be assumed that the wine has been stored or transported at low temperatures for some time, thus separating the tartaric acid from the wine and resulting in a weaker taste. In this case, for red wine, keep it for cooking.
If you find a film of wine attached to the bottle, in this case it can be considered not only a sign of normal precipitation, but also a sign that the tannins and pigments in the wine are of high quality and delicate, because they do not collect in a scum, but become film-like. I wonder if anyone would throw this wine away, what a shame.
(With one exception, if the liquid is squeezed and discharged with an inert gas, no contact occurs and the sobering effect is much less. However, improper squeezing will remove the sediment in the liquid together, and even block the pipe in a bad condition.)
2、Oxidation of the wine body
Under the action of oxygen, the large molecules in the wine break down and become more active, which will make the tight tannins softer and the closed aromas more open and complex. At this point, the wine becomes more palatable. It allows some of the flavors that affect the wine to dissipate, such as reductive dust, matches or rotten eggs.
What we commonly refer to as the necessity of sobriety is usually the following.
Young and undrinkable fine reds: high tannins, high price and high quality.
Young but aged fine white wines: for example, most dry white wines from Burgundy should be decanted.
Guelph sweet wines: mainly to get rid of the sulfurous taste, similar to the unpleasant taste of wine match heads and gunpowder.
Partially dry white wines with screw corks: Screw corks reduce the aromas of the wine, which improve with proper oxidation and decanting.
True ageing: the ageing of a wine is complex and depends on the specific circumstances.
2.
How to decant a wine?
1. Commonly used pouring containers (methods)
Bottle decant: low efficiency and long time. Can be chosen when there are few people and the wine does not require strong sobriety.
Sobering device: the choice of sobering device mainly depends on the area of the container that makes contact between wine and air. For the contact area of small sober containers, suitable for the first drink. Those with a large contact area are suitable for people who need to sober up for a long time or need to sober up faster.
Types of Sobriety
Decant: Pour the wine into the glass until it is finished. The aroma of the wine will evaporate more obviously, so that people can directly feel the aroma of the wine.
2、Thought-provoking environment
The decanting environment is also very sensitive to the environment, similar to what happens to wine during storage. However, by the time we decant, many of the influences have been eliminated. We need to pay attention to two things.
(2) Ambient temperature
For the sake of sobriety, I would like you to be a little more sensible. You must analyze the situation on its own merits. Don’t be blind. It’s like stopping before you fall in love. Be more rational.
