Pop 'n pour scenario

[Roy Hersh]

Sometimes you may wind up with a corked bottle and have to go retrieve a replacement from your cellar. On occasion you may return home and want to enjoy a Port and had no time beforehand to plan which Port to open up, ahead of time. Bringing a bottle to a restaurant and not wanting to decant it before leaving home is another reason. There are many more scenarios where a pop 'n pour experience happens.

So when you have no choice but to pop 'n pour a bottle of Port ... is there anything you can do to improve its showing?

[John M.]

use an aerating funnel...then swirl swirl swirl

[Bradley Bogdan]

If you pour the wine between two glasses a couple times (or use something like a vinturi once or twice), you've pretty much saturated the wine with as much air as you can, presumably improving the showing as much as you can.

Swirling doesn't do as much to introduce air as the previous two methods do, as it's not as violent, but it does really up the surface area for the aromas to be coaxed out of, also usually improving the whole experience.

Finally, depending on how cold the bottle is, it might take some good old fashioned body heat from the palms of your hands on the glass to warm it to a temperature where it'll show best.

[Moses Botbol]

Quick spin the blender.

[Bradley Bogdan]

Quick spin the blender.

I had just pushed the memory the some people did that out of my head. You've now put it back :-(. Haha.

[Andy Velebil]

If you pour the wine between two glasses a couple times (or use something like a vinturi once or twice), you've pretty much saturated the wine with as much air as you can, presumably improving the showing as much as you can.

Swirling doesn't do as much to introduce air as the previous two methods do, as it's not as violent, but it does really up the surface area for the aromas to be coaxed out of, also usually improving the whole experience.

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I had an interesting conversation about vigorous swirling in a decanter with a well known Port producer. He is dead set against it as it hurts the wine in the immediate short term. Similar to what the bottling process does. Just decant into a decanter and let nature take it's course. Prior to this conversation I was a vigorous swirl-er, not anymore. And I've had conversations since with other wine producers who are of the same opinion.

[Glenn E.]

How long is that immediate short term, though? I have had great results using that technique but I usually have at least an hour between the swirling and the tasting.

[Moses Botbol]

I had an interesting conversation about vigorous swirling in a decanter with a well known Port producer. He is dead set against it as it hurts the wine in the immediate short term. Similar to what the bottling process does. Just decant into a decanter and let nature take it's course. Prior to this conversation I was a vigorous swirl-er, not anymore. And I've had conversations since with other wine producers who are of the same opinion.

Even though I mentioned the blender, I'd have to agree with Andy. Nature has to take its course and best course of action is better planning. Too much swirling just bruises the wine.

[John M.]

Cool info...thanks.

[Roy Hersh]

Is there a scientific principle behind the theory that the wine is hurt from vigorous swirling? Not that I am doubter, but I've seen many a winemaker do this, even in the Douro. However, I first saw this being done when visiting one of Napa's most revered winemakers and he told me it allowed O2 molecules to integrate more easily.

Again, I'd love to hear the science behind this one way or the other. I don't really care how it pans out, but it would be good to know that. I certainly don't think it is a good idea for older or delicate VP's but think for very young and hearty Ports ... say a 1994 Taylor VP as an example ... would it really hurt this wine to gain more oxidation? I would like to understand how it would be "bruised"!?!?

[Bradley Bogdan]

So, as I understand it from class, oxidation and what's commonly referred to as "bruising" wine by swirling/pouring/putting in a blender too much are two separate issues.

The oxidation issue, in the short term, is mostly related to how we perceive the tannin. It doesn't take much, pouring the wine a couple times, either decanter to decanter or glass to glass, or using a vinturi or something is enough to dissolve about as much air in your wine as you're gonna get. The more air dissolved, the quicker your reactions with the tannin and the softening of the mouthfeel. Obviously, air and wine do other things over time, but in the short term of a few hours, that's the gist.

The other part is the release of volatile compounds. Volatile compounds comprise just about every flavor, good and bad, that you smell and taste in your wine. The compounds are mostly byproducts of fermentation, though obviously oak, bacteria and sulphur are common introducers of these compounds as well. These compounds come out of solution naturally, due to the jostling of them in the larger solution and their structure which makes them more or less apt to remain dissolved. This process of jostling can be sped up by a few factors, such as heat and physical force, like swirling. Now, if you put too much force into a wine and coax too many of these compounds out of solution, there's a temporary (or less commonly, permanent) lack of them left in the wine. It takes time for the wine to jostle some more free enough where they come out of solution again. That dull period is usually what's considered "bruised".

Now, before you think this is all bad, remember that coaxing some compounds of out the wine is good, like the very volatile sulphur compounds. They are so volatile that you can usually coax them mostly out in a matter of a minute or two.

[Bradley Bogdan]

The process of bottling and the resultant "bottle shock" is also theorized to be an issue of "bruising".

[Miguel Simoes]

I wish someone out there did a phd on these things, putting together a framework for assessing the variables that we talk about and how they change over time.

There have to be universities closely connected to wine producers/regions where something like this would fit. And this is something that, unlike the aging w cork vs wo cork, can be tested over hours/days.

Fear the tougher part will be to objectively measure what is going on w the wine that we perceive as changes in its taste. But heck, there are plenty of smart people and great technology out there that can be thrown at the problem.

[Andy Velebil]

Is there a scientific principle behind the theory that the wine is hurt from vigorous swirling? Not that I am doubter, but I've seen many a winemaker do this, even in the Douro. However, I first saw this being done when visiting one of Napa's most revered winemakers and he told me it allowed O2 molecules to integrate more easily.

I've never seen any scientific data. But in speaking to a number of winemakers they have all said wine tends to get banged up and closes up right after bottling. The empirical evidence seems to point to the bottling process, where it's pumped through lines and then the bottling equipment, does temporarily cause the wine to not show it's best for a short time thereafter. So what Brad says makes sense.

Unless someone can point me to a hard reason not to, I can't see why it's worth risking even for a young wine. I would rather have a little less potential air than bang it around and cause it to close up and not have the ability to close up.

[Roy Hersh]

I can think of a lot of Port and wine topics where there is significant disagreement between producers. Here are two others, both of which lack any scientific evidence and for me ... without that, the jury is out.

a. does Colheita improve within the bottle?
b. does Tawny Port with an indication of age need to be consumed early on (close to bottling date)?

So many Port producers disagree ... that this falls into "everyone has an opinion." The same can be said about flying with wine/Port and "travel shock" theories, as well as the aging curve of a magnum vs. 750 or other size formats. Until their is certainty and or scientific evidence, people will believe what either they read or hear, or their own empirical evidence.

[Moses Botbol]

I can think of a lot of Port and wine topics where there is significant disagreement between producers. Here are two others, both of which lack any scientific evidence and for me ... without that, the jury is out.

a. does Colheita improve within the bottle?
b. does Tawny Port with an indication of age need to be consumed early on (close to bottling date)?

So many Port producers disagree ... that this falls into "everyone has an opinion."

Part of that is based on whether their said product ages well or should be consumed early to bottling. Some Colheitas can just age wonderfully in the bottle; other brands not so much. Both of your examples can not have a general answer IMO.

I like tawny's as fresh bottled as I can find them. Unless we're talking 5+ years sitting in the bottle... both are in the same place after a couple days open.