The Wine Ladies

Sleepy Chardonnay

Dear Wine Ladies,

What does it mean when some-one says “a wine goes to sleep” for a while? Did I hear that right?

Douglas

Dear Douglas,
 
Yes you did. This very question came up during a recent discussion with Bruce Nicholson, Senior Winemaker at Inniskillin Niagara. According to Mr. Nicholson, releasing a wine onto the market prior to at least a month after its been bottled would not be fair to the wine. After filtration and bottling a wine needs a little time to settle as it can go through peaks and valleys during the aging process, also known as going through a period of “bottle shock” or the “wine being in a valley”.  The four to six week rest period allows the various components to harmonize and showcase the wine at its best.