will not impair the flavour.
Oxidisation - when wine has been opened and left for longer than a day; it tends to lose its aroma and col-
our, giving an overall flat taste. The only way to avoid this, it either to drink the wine on the same day it was
opened or to use a vacuum device specially designed for removing oxygen from opened wine bottles. If you
use such a device, the wine should still be consumed shortly afterwards.
Ullage - this is loss of wine from the bottle by evaporation or leakage. Signs of ullage include wine seeping
around the cork, a protruding cork or a stained label. It can happen if the bottle has been allowed to get too
warm. The wine may still be drinkable, if the leakage was recent; however, you should be aware that if the
wine cools down again, contraction can cause more air to be sucked into the bottle and result in further
deterioration.
Slight effervescence in still wine – this isn't really a problem with the way the wine has been stored, but as
a result of incomplete malolactic fermentation before the wine was bottled. A good way to get rid of the
effervescence is to let the wine breathe. Alternatively you can use a bottle vacuum device, after about five
minutes the effervescence will vanish.
Sediment - this is not normally a problem, however both red and white wines can produce sediment after a
number of months in a bottle. The sediment consists of tartrate crystals and is totally harmless. If anything
the building of sediment can be considered a good sign because it means that the wine was not subjected to
much (if any) filtering, meaning that the flavours and aromas should be preserved better.
A good way to get around sediment (if it is a problem) is to stand the bottle upright, the day before opening,
so that the sediment can settle to the bottom of the bottle.
You can also decant your wine; decanting will "open up" the flavour of both young and old wines, but younger
wines in particular. To decant, pour the wine slowly and evenly into your decanter.
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