Winemaking
Oxidative ageing
Deliberately exposing wine to air to develop nutty, dried-fruit complexity.
Overview
The opposite of everything modern table winemaking tries to achieve, and entirely intentional here.
Controlled oxygen exposure over years produces walnut, dried fruit, caramel and the rancio character prized in old fortified wine.
Because the wine is already fully oxidised, there is little left to spoil — which is why an open bottle of Oloroso or Madeira survives for weeks or months.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Consejo Regulador de las Denominaciones de Origen Jerez-Xérès-Sherry — Consejo Regulador del Jerez
- Instituto do Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato da Madeira — IVBAM, Portugal
More in winemaking
Winemaking
Fermentation
Yeast converting sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide — the step that makes wine wine.
Winemaking
How red wine is made
Fermenting grape juice in contact with the skins, which is where colour and tannin come from.
Winemaking
How white wine is made
Pressing the juice off the skins before fermentation, then fermenting the clear juice.