Microoxygenation

Micro-oxygenation is a relatively new wine making technology, when with a gentle supplying pure oxygen to the must or young wine, the color or the taste of a wine development can be influenced. The frequently used term "micro- oxidation " is inaccurate, since the oxidation of the wine only the direct result of oxygenation (ie the active addition of oxygen) is.

Objectives of oxygen supply are:

• The stabilization of color and deepening in color ( red wines )
• The tannin - refinement ( red)
• The prevention of sulfurous off - flavors ( red and white wine).

The continuous addition is made at the earliest after pressing the mash, but at the latest after the malolactic fermentation.

In the micro-oxygenation only minimal amounts of oxygen are added, so that the oxidation process is limited to the production of very small amounts of acetaldehyde. This amount is no longer making tasty, but promotes the concatenation long polyphenols (see also the article phenols in wine). Because in the group of polyphenols both dyes and tannins of the wine contained, has a long concatenation polyphenol molecules, the effects of stabilizing the color of the tannin and a refinement to the order. The wines are fruity and velvety sensory and look more like wines that are aged 2 to 5 years, but without losing their fruitiness (→ aromas in wine). Essentially, therewith to be maturational processes that would otherwise take place, such as the oak in small wooden barrels, time shortened and made ​​more manageable.

The micro-oxygenation is essentially different from the conscious oxidative removal of certain types of wine such as sherry. In such types of wine often, the oxidation number of years on the wine surface. With the oxygen of the air by substantial amounts of alcohol is oxidized into acetaldehyde. This acetaldehyde reacts further in the sequence and contributes to the flavor of the wine by embossing the typical Sherryton at. In addition, the red dyes oxidize the wine, the anthocyanins. The result: the wine loses its red color and is brownish.

The first promising experiments with the micro-oxygenation did Patrick Ducourneau in 1991. Its goals is to reduce the very high tannin content of the grape Tannat were. The result of his investigations he made in 1995 prior to the 5th Symposium international d' oenologie.

An influential proponent of this technique is the oenologist Michel Rolland.