Ever Wonder? Should You Decant a Wine, Use an Aerator or a Blender?

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Both the use of an aerator and the process of decanting a wine provide the wine with further exposure to oxygen. This typically helps a wine to release any undesirable odors and, more importantly, to help soften the tannins in a red wine.

Young red wines often have bigger, bolder tannin and benefit the most from decanting. Sometimes for hours. But, older red wines are usually a bit more delicate and can quickly lose their character, or go flabby, if decanted.

So, if you are dealing with a young red wine whose tannins are too bold, try pouring it into a wide-base decanter. Then, re-sample it periodically. Usually after an hour or two, the decanting process will have calmed the tannins and you’ll find a noticeable positive difference.

If you are dealing with an older bottle of red wine, try it immediately after pulling the cork. If you detect something odd or the tannins are still too bold, then pour it into a decanter (being especially careful to avoid pouring any sediment into the decanter) and give it 10 to 15 minutes. Then, re-try the wine.

As for an aerator, they are fun pouring accessories, and they do add a bit of oxygen to the wine during the pouring process. But, for really giving a wine some breathing space, give it some time in a broad-based decanter.

And, by the way, forget about “hyper-decanting” a wine in the blender. It may be a trendy on-line thing, but it’s really unnecessary. It can ruin a nice older wine or turn a young red wine into a frothy red drink that has lost its character. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Josh Cellars Hearth Cabernet Sauvignon

2020 Josh Hearth Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.99)

Hearth is the newest Cabernet Sauvignon from Josh Cellars.

Joseph Carr began by selling Josh wines (Named for his Father) out of the back of his truck in 2007. In the beginning, he only made one wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, but soon thereafter began making a Josh Chardonnay for his wife, Dee. From day one, proceeds from Josh Cellars have been donated to various military, veteran, and firefighter groups. In 2021, Josh Cellars was named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

This Josh Hearth is produced from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that are sourced from around the state of California. It is deep ruby in color with aromas of black fruit, plum, herbal hints and chocolate. On the palate, this full-bodied wine is like drinking a cherry-chocolate (but not sweet) with wonderfully rich dark cherry flavor, blackberry and dark chocolate. Its tannin are easy as is the finish.

Josh Cellars Hearth Cabernet Sauvignon is a great value for a California Cab and a great fits as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week.

Josh Cellars Hearth is available online at Josh Cellars , as well as nationwide on Drizly, Total Wine, Minibar and more.

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Josh Cellars

Ever Wonder? What's the Difference Between American and French Oak Barrels?

In winemaking, wood barrels impart textures, aromas and flavors into the final product.

Wines can be fermented and/or aged in oak barrels anywhere from six months to two years or longer.

Many red wines are aged in some type of oak barrels while few white wines are fermented or aged in oak (Chardonnay is the biggest exception).

Wine barrels are made from oak trees grown in many parts of the world. While French and American oak are most commonly used, there is also oak from places such as Hungary and Romania.

Oak barrels can be classified as ‘new,’ ‘used’ or ‘neutral.’ New oak is used to impart bold flavors. Lightly-used barrels, having been used for only one or two wines vintages, impart somewhat less flavor. And, neutral oak generally imparts no discernible flavor.

The primary difference between French and American oak is the different flavor characteristics they impart. French oak barrels are said to impart flavors of dark chocolate, roasted coffee beans and subtle smoke and spice notes, and produce wines with silkier textures. American oak is said to impart flavors of coconut, vanilla extract, cream soda and sweeter spices. They are also said to be more assertive in the imparted flavors while resulting in wines with a creamier texture.

But, like most things, it greatly depends on how the oak is prepared (i.e., toasted) and how the different types are used by each winemaker. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Domaine Bousquet Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

2021 Domaine Bousquet Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($18)

The Domaine Bousquet winery is a family-owned estate in the Gualtallary Valley, a scenic, remote, arid terrain high in the Uco Valley (4000-plus-foot elevation) in Argentina’s Mendoza region, close to the border with Chile. Their wines are made from hand-picked, certified organic estate fruit.

This Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Malbec. It undergoes a 48-hour cold maceration followed by a 10-day fermentation using selected yeasts, and then is followed by another 10-day maceration. It then undergoes 100% malolactic conversion and is aged in contact with French oak 6-8 months.

It is deep ruby in color with aromas of black cherry, delicate herbs and a hint of earthiness. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has fruity, jammy flavors of black plum and black currant with a bit of oak on the easy finish.

This Domaine Bousquet Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a great fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. And, at this price, is a great value too!

Alcohol: 14.5%, Total Acidity: 5.55 gm/L (pH: 3.67), Residual Sugar: 1.8 gm/L

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Domaine Bousquet Winery and Creative Palate Communications

The Top Two Most Prominent Acids in Wine - Tartaric and Malic

Last time we looked at acidity levels in wine that are measured on the pH scale and in terms of grams of acid per liter (Total Acidity). While Total Acidity is a measure of the concentration of acids in a wine, the pH level tells you how intense those acids will be.

So, let’s now look a bit more into the acids in wines.

There are four primary types of acids in wines - tartaric acid, malic acid, citric acid, and lactic acid.

“Wine Diamonds” on a Cork

Tartaric acid is the primary acid in wine grapes. But, only about half the tartaric acid in a grape is soluble in wine. The rest tends to attach itself to pulp debris, tannins, and pigments during the fermentation and aging process. And, sometimes that undissolved tartaric acid crystallizes in the wine. That’s what “wine diamonds” are. Those little broken-glass-looking shards you sometimes find on a cork or in your wine. But, don’t worry, they’re completely harmless.

Now, let’s move on to Malic acid which is the second most prominent type of acid in wine grapes. It too is produced as part of the grape growing process. But, Malic acid in grape vines decreases as vines grow older and the grapes ripen.

If malic acid is too high, winemakers can initiate a process called malolactic “fermentation” (MLF) which converts some of the malic acid (like that of a tart green apple) to the more mild lactic acid. This conversion gives a wine a buttery, creamy mouthfeel. You may know lactic acid as the primary acid present in a lot of fermented products, like yogurt, kefir, and sourdough bread.

Malolactic Fermentation is not actually a fermentation. It’s just a chemical process that converts one type of acid to another type of acid. So, it is more correctly a Malolactic Conversion, not a fermentation.

And, while most red wines undergo malolactic conversion, only some white wines, notably Chardonnay, undergo this process.

If you don’t care for highly acidic flavors in wines, try a full-bodied red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or a Syrah. But, if you love a crisp, refreshingly tart flavor, look for light-bodied white wines such as Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling or a brut sparkling wine.