Does the speed of opening of a bottle of wine influence its flavour?
While having a (good) bootle of wine at a friends place I've been told the following:
The bottle should be uncorked slowly and silently, not to spoil its bouquet.
This statement came as something completely new to me, and I do not understand what kind of physical/chemical reasons could justify it. Unfortunately, social reasons prevented me to ask directly to the upholder of this thesis.
Has anybody ever heard such a statement? Is it correct? A scientifically supported answer would be appreciated (therefore I add the tag chemistry to it).
Thank you for your support!
Best Answer
This seems to be a myth based on the idea that wine can be 'bruised' by popping the cork or handling the bottle roughly.
'Dr Vinny', Wine Spectator Magazine's advice expert, has this to say on the subject:
Someone asked whether or not making a cork "pop" when you pull it will bruise the wine. Others have also asked about bruising in relation to decanting. I've never had a wine that was fine one moment and damaged the next because of handling, and can safely say that bruising wine is a myth.
Source: http://www.winespectator.com/drvinny/show/id/5369
and also:
A wine does not get “bruised” by moving it around. And let me address some other myths, such as that wine will bruise if you make a cork “pop” or bruise if you decant it: no and no. Outside of smashing a bottle on a concrete floor, there is nothing I know of that will take a perfectly fine wine and damage it in one movement.
Source: http://www.winespectator.com/drvinny/show/id/40542
You are more likely to have a problem with an old, crumbly cork falling into the wine than some pseudo-homeopathic magic going on when the cork pops.
Pictures about "Does the speed of opening of a bottle of wine influence its flavour?"
What does it mean to bruise wine?
"Bruising"- Yanking the cork out of the bottle creates that all familiar POP! If proper etiquette is important to you, this "POP" is actually an undesirable resonance referred to as bruising the wine. In order to prevent this from occurring, gently lift the cork out of the bottle while bending the cork to the side.Should wine pop when opened?
Most importantly, there should be a pop sound when uncorking, and if the cork comes out too early beware.When opening a bottle of wine the cork should always make a popping sound?
Remember that corks are pieces of tree bark that are squished into the neck of a bottle of wine. Cork is very elastic, and can compress to about half its width without losing any flexibility. When you break that seal by pulling out the cork from the neck of a bottle, that can sometimes make a popping sound.Should you pop the cork?
The cork shoots out of the bottle at some speed, and you have no control over where it goes. It's actually possible to cause some serious injury when you pop the cork. Moreover, the process of popping the cork also causes some issues with your wine.How Long Can You Keep an Open Bottle of Wine?
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Nicola Barts, Piotr Arnoldes, ready made, Jill Wellington