Aging of wine

Okay kiddo, let's talk about aging wine! Just like with people, wine gets older too. When grapes are turned into wine, they have lots of different chemicals inside them. Some of those chemicals make the wine taste good and some don’t. When wine is first made, it's a bit like a baby - it hasn't had enough time to develop all of its flavors yet.

When you put wine in a barrel or a bottle and leave it alone for a long time, it can start to change. This is kind of how you change as you get older, too! Some of the flavors in the wine will start to become stronger and more complex. Other flavors will start to fade away.

As the wine ages, it can also get a little bit smoother and easier to drink. Think of it like you're a kid and you're drinking apple juice. When you're really young, it might be too tart or sweet for you. But as you get older, you might start to appreciate the taste more and more.

But not all wines are good for aging. Some wines, like white wines, don't really improve with age. They're kind of like the apples in the grocery store that will only last for a few days after you buy them. Other wines, like red wines, can be aged for a really long time - sometimes even decades! These are like the apples that will last for a long time in your refrigerator.

Overall, the process of aging wine is a bit like science experiment. Just like how you mix different colors of paint to make a new color, different chemicals in wine will interact with each other to create new flavors and smells. So next time you try a really old bottle of wine, think of it like a wise old wizard who's been around for a long, long time!