Fresh Air: The Role of Oxygen in Cellaring and Serving Wine

Taste the difference oxygen makes. Explore how aging, decanting, and air transform wine, and learn when to open, age, and serve it. Fine wine is constantly changing, and oxygen plays a fascinating role in that evolution. From production and bottle aging to the moment a wine is opened and served, oxygen can dramatically influence a wine’s character, structure, and development. In this tasting, we’ll explore four key aspects of wine production and structure to understand how oxygen affects wine and how that knowledge can help us decide which wines to age, how long to age them, and how best to serve them. Each topic will be illustrated through a side-by-side tasting of the same wine: one opened just before the event, and one opened and double-decanted 24 hours earlier. Taste the difference, explore what’s happening in the glass, and gain a deeper understanding of how oxygen shapes the wines we drink. Wines being featured include: Delaunay Vignerons "Nord-Ouest" Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Château-Thébaud 2015 Domaine du Closel Savennières Clos du Papillon 2022 Luigi Einaudi Barolo Monvigliero 2021 López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia 2014 More information about each of these wines can be found at www.grippytannins.com.