Oxidation

In the wine world, this is a bad word! It is the term used specifically to describe a wine that, through prolonged exposure to oxygen, has lost its characteristic flavor and become flat or vinegary. An oxidized white wine, like a cut apple, will often show a brownish color. In reds, the same color change also happens but is often harder to detect by sight. But oxidized reds reflect a smell and taste of vinegar and are without tannins. There is some debate over the necessity of oxygen to the maturation process in the bottle. This debate carries over to the cork vs. the screw caps. It is proven that some oxidation is good for older wines, that is why most older wines need to be decanted, but for younger wines, the less contact with oxygen, the better. If you would like to save the remainder of an open bottle for the next night, please use a vacuum stopper or replace the cork as tight as possible and refrigerate, even for red wines. This will slow down the oxidation process.

Cheers!