How to make cheap wine taste like a fine vintage

I ran across this on another website.

Pass an undrinkable, raw red wine between a set of high-voltage electrodes and it becomes pleasantly quaffable. "Using an electric field to accelerate ageing is a feasible way to shorten maturation times and improve the quality of young wine," says Hervé Alexandre, professor of oenology at the University of Burgundy, close to some of France's finest vineyards.

Here's a LINK.

Well now I know what to do with all those high-voltage electrodes that have been piling up. Needless to say, I’m skeptical. But I can’t see where anyone with a wine cellar would have to speed anything up, I mean, that’s one of the reasons you have a cellar, to hold wine until it is ready.

So I should throw out all those magnets and make room for the electrodes?

I know I'm going to get bashed by the synthetic cork/screwcap crowd but there's something very romantic and enjoyable about pulling the cork on a bottle that's been in th cellar for a long time. I'll pass on the screw caps, magnets and electrodes.

Tom T.
who doesn't believe for a minute that the % of wines with tainted corked is 5-10%

Silly me..I always thought the electrodes were meant to be applied to the winemaker who foisted the raw undrinkable wine on us in the first place..

,,,,,Tom T.

Tom, Hi....

We should form a guild. Like you, I am convinced that the "discovery" of corked wines became an upper-level intellectual sport and that it all started with on the Squire/Parker bulletin board. Indeed, the more quickly one could "spot" a corked wine the more respect one earned respect from his/her board peers.

Not to say that cork is not responsible for some wine failure. Not, however, in the outrageous quantities some propose.

Best
Rogov

I was just thinking that what we really needed was another cork vs. other seals debate. I'll leave you to enjoy it.

Ian, Hi.....


No fear.....not starting another debate. Just putting in my proverbial two cents and in these difficult economic times that's about as much as I care to invest in the issue at this time.

Best
Rogov

I know I'm going to get bashed by the synthetic cork/screwcap crowd but there's something very romantic and enjoyable about pulling the cork on a bottle that's been in th cellar for a long time. I'll pass on the screw caps, magnets and electrodes.

Tom T.
who doesn't believe for a minute that the % of wines with tainted corked is 5-10%

No bashing, you're entitled to your opinion, but I wish you wouldn't lump synthetics together with corkscrews as if the "crowd" that defended corkscrews had any sympathy for synthetics. Quite the contrary, synthetics get a bad rap because they let in too much oxygen too soon whereas corkscrews, well, only deprive you of romance and enjoyment. And by even mentioning screwcaps in the same phrase as magnets and electrodes you are essentially leveling something that works (even if you don't like it) with contraptions that most of us believe to be bogus. That's hardly fair.

FWIW - I found the link in a thread on a home winemaking website. The thread topic there has changed to how home winemakers can make these devices and electrocute their wines.

,,,,,Tom T.

Tom, Hi....

We should form a guild. Like you, I am convinced that the "discovery" of corked wines became an upper-level intellectual sport and that it all started with on the Squire/Parker bulletin board. Indeed, the more quickly one could "spot" a corked wine the more respect one earned respect from his/her board peers.

Not to say that cork is not responsible for some wine failure. Not, however, in the outrageous quantities some propose.
Been drinking better wines since 1968, 2 to 5% have been corked. Have been involved with a wine store for approx. 20 years. Would you accept that kind of failure rate with any other product that costs that much? Opened a 90 Brunello that has been resting in my cellar since release two nights ago VOILA!!!! corked. Lou Kessler

Pass an undrinkable, raw red wine between a set of high-voltage electrodes and it becomes pleasantly quaffable

Will this gadget also make a silk purse out of a sow's ear?


Matilda

Tom, Hi....We should form a guild. Like you, I am convinced that the "discovery" of corked wines became an upper-level intellectual sport and that it all started with on the Squire/Parker bulletin board. Indeed, the more quickly one could "spot" a corked wine the more respect one earned respect from his/her board peers.

I think that Daniel knows that I certainly agree. I figure 90% to 95% of the modern world is poisoned and trashed by the trappings of technocracy. It’s a pleasure to give up 5% to be at peace with something Old World 95% of the time.

The Perfect Sommelier

It sounds crazy, but the Perfect Sommelier will improve virtually any wine in less than 30 minutes. Just replace your wine's cork with the Sommelier's top and place the bottle on the magnetic base. The strong magnetic field created by the Perfect Sommelier will rapidly "age" a wine, mellowing out the flavor and improving the bouquet. The effect ranges from subtle to dramatic, and it works a lot better on red wines than whites. It sounds unbelievable, but the fact that it works is undisputed by critics and wine makers.

#M221 The Perfect Sommelier Black finish $39.99
EACH


http://www.northernbrewer.com/wine-serving.html

Just read the paper. As far as I can see the effects measured - chemical and taste changes - were real and due to the electric field. But there is a lot of rubbish in the introduction about oak aging, and no evidence presented that any enhancements mimic the effect of aging at all.

It sounds totally implausable from a physics/chemistry perspective. The stated field (sounds like about 600 V/cm AC from the New Scientist article) is really not very strong, as far as electic fields go. If chemical reactions such as the ones proposed really took place due to such small perturbations, living organisims would probably be adversely affected by all sorts of electrical devices that we encounter daily. And for those who are going to say that we are affected, you look nice in your tin foil hat.

Interesting that the universal effect is to make bad wine taste good. Funny that it doesen't make bad wine taste worse (there are many bad wines that only get worse with age). Wonder what it does for good wine? I'm quite skeptical about their experimental design and wonder if the results could be reproduced by others.

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l

Norman
I'm appalled that you think it's ok to advertise a product from your business here, complete with marketing b*llshit. This forum doesn't need such spam. Please remove your post.
Ian

[Robin Garr]

The Perfect Sommelier

Norman, is Ian correct that you sell this product? It would have have occurred to me that a forum member would blatantly advertise, and I hope this is simply a misunderstanding.

(For the record, this wine expert advises against the purchase or use of any of these magnetic and similar products.)

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l

Norman
I'm appalled that you think it's ok to advertise a product from your business here, complete with marketing b*llshit. This forum doesn't need such spam. Please remove your post.
Ian

Ian,
I've been communicating with Norman here and on a home winemaking website also, for quite some time. In fact, I led him here and he has participated in a few of our Chat sessions. I can assure you that he is not in that business. His business is training dogs for K-9 police forces. He grew up near me. He is also planting a small vineyard in Tennessee and makes wine. The website linked is to an online supplier for home winemaking products, which is not the manufacturer of the product. I think he followed the thread and was not aware such things had been discussed here before and was showing us a different product making the same claims. He's not a spammer.

[Robin Garr]

Thanks for the clarification, Howie, and apologies to Norman. I have to say, his post for the Perfect Sommelier read an awful lot like advertising, but I fully accept that he is strictly a satisfied customer.

I've tested a few of these things in "blind" competition with a group of local sommeliers and advanced wine geeks, and frankly we haven't been able to demonstrate to our satisfaction that any of them work. But if Norman is happy, I'm happy for him.

Ian,
I've been communicating with Norman here and on a home winemaking website also, for quite some time. In fact, I led him here and he has participated in a few of our Chat sessions. I can assure you that he is not in that business. His business is training dogs for K-9 police forces. He grew up near me. He is also planting a small vineyard in Tennessee and makes wine. The website linked is to an online supplier for home winemaking products, which is not the manufacturer of the product. I think he followed the thread and was not aware such things had been discussed here before and was showing us a different product making the same claims. He's not a spammer.

If that is the case, and there is indeed no commercial link, then I apologise.

I still vehemently object to such marketing b*llshit being posted on this site, and would still ask that such material be removed, but would owe Norman an apology for calling him a spammer.

regards

Ian

I just presented this thread with a similar product and the relevant info. I also gave the link so you could see a picture of it. That was it. geez I am sorry! I was adding info on the topic at hand. I can't believe it. I have nothing to do with Norther brewer other than buying stuff from them. I would not waste my money on such a product either ---- Just knew it was out there. Man - Lighten up.

Thank you Howie for the support. I meant nothing wrong at all. Just giving you people all the relevant info re: the said item which seemed to promise to do the same thing or a similar thing. I guess I should bow out of such a forum if I get accused of spamming and selling when I was innocently just posting a relevant concept/item to the said topic.

Thank you for the short term participation. Farewell! esp. Ian!

The Perfect Sommelier

It sounds crazy, but the Perfect Sommelier will improve virtually any wine in less than 30 minutes. ... It sounds unbelievable, but the fact that it works is undisputed by critics and wine makers.

1. I am a wine critic
2. Like Robin, I have done blind tastings of wines that underwent this "process" alongside identical wines that have not undergone the process
3. Like Robin, I found no difference whatever between the wines
4. Ergo: The claim is disputed.

Best
Rogov

man - don't you still understand - view the link - the text is taken from THEIR website - Not Me!!!

21 posts and blackjack for me.

what a way to go out!

best wishes to you all - or most of you!

:-0