Just Give it Some Time

Why wait? That is the question that pops into the head of an everyday guy or gal, when their wine geek buddy stows away a rather over priced bottle of vino. The reason for waiting is worth your time! Even after the fermentation process in the wine barrel, the adult grape juice goes through a completely different set of changes while in the bottle. This makes vintage wine special.
Some new, young wines have a harsh tannins. Tannins are the acidic structure in red wine that makes the wine feel dry. They are tasteless, but if there is too much present, it makes the wine harsh and unplesant. By putting a young bottle away in a temperature and moisture controlled room, the tannic acid reacts with other componets in the wine, then pushed out of the solution, and hardens to form sediment. The color of the wine changes too. Red wine will turn brownish and lighter, whereas white will darken to gold. Smells have a special change also. When a wine is young, the ordor it gives off is known as the "nose". After that same wine has matured, the nose becomes the "bouquet". This is a proper term, describing the complex nature of the elder wine's aroma.