Do you recall the time when you brought home the best wine you’ve ever tasted from a wine event? Then only to know it tastes utterly different after opening the exact bottle months later? If so, you’re not alone!
You’re not losing your head if you noticed that each drinking is a little different than the last time you took a swig. What you need to know is that wine is like a living, breathing thing. It changes. It evolves. And there are many practical reasons why your wine may taste unlikely.
Here are some factors that will better explain why your favorite wine tastes different every time. Check them out below!
The Wine Has Matured
Wine is made from an organic matter that will age or mature in time. Hence it will continuously get riper due to micro-oxygenation. To get a clearer idea, it’s like comparing wine to a fruit that evolves every second until it reaches the perfect peak of ripeness. In the case of fruit, you only have mere minutes to harvest it at the ideal time. But once it reaches its peak, it will begin to decline until it’s completely decomposed.
The point of the analogy is that wine is more like a piece of produce than a bottle of soda or beer. It ages every moment, which causes the taste to change over time. So if you took a sip of wine 3, 6, or 9 months ago, you should anticipate that it’s no longer the same kind you initially fell in love with.
Varying Temperatures
Another possible reason is that you’re not drinking the same serving temperature as before. Note that serving temperature can impose a significant influence on the taste of wine.
For instance, a cooler wine is less expressive, the flavors are somehow muted, and tannins feel tighter on your tongue. As longer it sits in your glass, the warmer it gets, which can result in a bit of different taste compared to when you had it earlier. Thus, the taste of your wine can even change as you drink it.
The Shape of Glassware
Surprisingly, glassware can also affect your perception of wine. How come? This is because you tend to tilt your head differently depending on the shape of the glass. With narrow-rimmed glasses, you tilt your head back, but when drinking from wide rims, you lower your head. These different positions vary the speed of wine hitting your tongue, aside from where it hits.
According to a study, the model of the tongue presents different parts having distinct receptors tuned into particular tastes. This refers to sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. It would then easily explain why liquid hitting the front of your tongue enforces a different taste perception than if it hits the back or even the sides.
Your Body Chemistry Has Changed
Have you ever experienced changing your food preference? Come to think of it, when you’re a kid, you prefer sweets, candies, and hate bitter foods. But as you grow, you tend to like coffee and vegetables. You might think like it was a sudden change of heart, but in fact, our palate matures due to adulthood. So if you’re confused about why you don’t like your expensive wine anymore, the change in your body chemistry is the probable cause.
How Wine Was Transported or Stored
Some conditions can’t be avoided once the wine leaves the winery. Its taste could be affected when it’s stored at a high-temperature in warehouses or abused in transit. So be sure to store your bottle of wine immediately as soon as you get home.
The Bottle Was ‘Off’
Unfortunately, this can really happen. The wine can be corked, heat-damaged, oxidized, and so on. Although there will be instances where these faults are very pronounced or just subtle, the flawed bottle is obviously no longer the same as you expect it to be.
In case you can’t consume the wine anymore due to its bad taste, you can still keep the bottle as a memento. Especially if it’s a luxurious type of wine. You can also revamp it into home décor. For inspiring concepts, you can check online for empty wine bottle decoration ideas.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve pointed out the possible causes of why your favorite wine seems different, what are you gonna do?
Our recommendation, don’t fight it and embrace it instead. The mere fact that each bottle proposes a unique experience is among the most extraordinary things about wine. The more you learn and understand about it, the more you’ll be geeking out about these nuances. You’ll surely realize that wine is like an adventure, it’s never the same twice, which is part of the fun!