Swirl It, Shake It, or Just Let It Be

Chapter Three. Part Nine.

Swirling wine around a wine glass introduces oxygen into the liquid which expedites the release of aromas and takes some of the tension out of firm, young reds. Better wine decanters are designed with maximum surface exposure to facilitate the same thing and some even gently oscillate to further speed the oxidation process. Romancing your wine in this way will make it more approachable but let’s face it, sometimes you want instant gratification and you just don’t have time for all that foreplay.

In a stroke of good luck for impatient drinkers, Sparky and Sarah Marquis (the left-handed gurus behind MollyDooker wines) created a process for quickly coaxing a young wine out of its shell. I would never attempt the “MollyDooker Shake” on an aged wine but I’ve found it’s an effective technique when I’m rapidly opening and pouring multiple bottles of young wine at wine tasting events.

Sparky suggests you pour a glass of wine from a freshly opened bottle and set it aside (don’t worry, we’ll get back to it soon enough). Then replug the bottle with a cork or screw cap, turn it upside down and vigorously shake it like you’ve been on a strict diet of double espresso and Jack Daniels since February. When you reopen the bottle you’ll notice a frothy pink head rise and then slowly dissipate.

The MollyDooker Shake is a mechanism for releasing nitrogen or other inert gases that are trapped inside the wine. These gases are added to flush out oxygen and prevent the wine from, well … oxidizing. The process of releasing the trapped nitrogen allows oxygen to once again interact with the wine and hasten its evolution. Once the foamy pink gas has disappeared, pour a second glass and sample it next to the first. The difference in flavor and texture can be pronounced.

I once received tank samples of some young New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs to taste several months before their intended release date. The wines were months shy of integrating into cohesive, balanced wines and the searing acidity overpowered any trace of fruit flavor. To the shocked reaction of the other wine merchants in the room, I grabbed a bottle and administered the MollyDooker Shake. Once again the difference was marked and my colleague’s expressions turned from shock to gratitude when they tasted the difference.

Occasionally excessive swirling can be counterproductive when attempting to cajole reluctant aromas from a glass of wine. Years ago I tasted a California Zinfandel with cohorts I’ll call Mike and Ron because that was their names. This particular Zinfandel was very aromatic and the three of us spent a great deal of time analyzing the nose. I was called out of the room for about twenty minutes and when I returned Mike and Ron were still swirling and sniffing like a couple of dogs getting to know one another.

I carefully picked up my glass and sniffed it with nary a swirl. “This wine has pronounced maple syrup aromas.” I proclaimed.

Mike said, “Huh?” because the expression “WTF” hadn’t been invented yet.

Ron laughed out loud because, again, “LOL” wouldn’t come about for several more years.

I took another sniff and the aroma was as distinctive as Sunday morning in an International House of Pancakes so I said “Yes, maple syrup. It’s as distinctive as Sunday morning in an International House of Pancakes.”

They both started another round of vigorous swirling, followed by energetic sniffing and more swirling. Regardless of how hard they swirled and sniffed they couldn’t raise any maple syrup aromas from the wine.

“I think you’ve lost the touch.” said Mike.

To prove the wine had distinctive maple syrup aromas to my colleagues I did what any respectable scientist would do in the same situation. I made them a wager.

My glass of wine sat undisturbed for over twenty minutes and the distinctive aromas had time to collect inside the bowl. Odorants vary depending on their exposure to air which is why aromas two inches above the rim of a glass are different from aromas inside the glass. This is particularly apparent with volatile liquids like Cognac or whiskey (find out more here). If I swirled I would have thrown the scents right out of the glass. Instead, I had Mike and Ron come to the glass and sniff it without moving it from the table.

Mike said, “Oh my God” because OMG wasn’t … well you know.

Ron said, “Finally, a wine to pair with pancakes.”

I said, “Pay up.”