Wednesday, November 10, 2010

CRYOGENICS

I've mentioned before that a good way to keep leftover wine that you know you won't use over the next few days is to freeze it. When thawed out there might be a bit of haze but the wine will be almost as good as when you put it in the freezer (there will be some slow oxidation going on so generally it has an aged characteristic). A couple of months ago someone gave me a bottle of 2006 NZ Barrique Chardonnay. This is a good brand and the wine had won a trophy in a wine competition. I tried it and recognised its good qualities but, being 4 years old it was showing its age. We only drank half the bottle and I put the rest in the freezer thinking to bring it out later and blend with a younger wine. Well I did bring it out of the freezer tonight, nuked it a bit in the microwave oven to melt some of the ice and tried it. Once the haze had settled (leaving a decent teaspoon full of sludge in the bottom of the glass) the wine was clean and shiny and, wonder of wonders was rejuvenated. The aged characteristics it showed on first being opened ( a couple of months ago) had disappeared. The wine was fresh and I'm sure, in a wine tasting might have passed as a 2008 version. I'm keen to repeat the experiment with some older wines. Perhaps it has something to do with the 'drop-out' of the haze( dead yeasts, tannins etc.). Interesting.

9 comments:

Richard (of RBB) said...

You can freeze things like meat and veges too.

THE WINE GUY said...

Yes but they don't come out of the freezer tasting better than when they went in.

Twisted Scottish Bastard said...

Just to be a bit pedantic, as I usually am, Cryogenics is the study of materials BELOW -150 C.

Unless you've got the most powerful freezer in NZ, I don't think it's a cryogenics application.

I know about this (buffs nails) as I used to engineer true cryogenic storage and transport in a previous incarnation

Anonymous said...

So you are the re incanation of a cyrogenic engineer? Why didn't you just freeze yourself?

Twisted Scottish Bastard said...

Logic error, logic error.

Look second, I know logic's not your strong point (Richard [of RBB] has told me all) but even a god-botherer should be able to see the falacy of
"So you are the re incanation of a cyrogenic engineer? Why didn't you just freeze yourself"
If I'm dead. how can I freeze myself?

PS check grammar and spelling.

THE CURMUDGEON said...

I think that someone did freeze TSB. When they thawed him out they unfortunately threw away the good stuff and kept the sludge.

Anonymous said...

I always wondered those little chewy bits in "Goody, Goody Gum drops" ice cream are.

THE CURMUDGEON said...

"I always wondered those little chewy bits in "Goody, Goody Gum drops" ice cream are."

Probably the nose-pickings of someone who works on the production line.

Bas's Bag said...

Jeez mate! I like a cold one myself but that's going a bit far for me.