Do white wines benefit from breathing?

Liz and I had a bottle of the 2005 Planeta La Segreta Bianco Sicilia IGT last night. I took a sip immediately upon opening and thought to myself “This wine is over the hill already!” and, wondering how it had been stored prior to purchase, I set the bottle aside. A short while later when we were eating dinner (turkey breast), I gave the wine another try and the wine was fine…better than fine it was very good with complex, rich flavors.
While the wine was sitting, two things happened: 1) it warmed up from icebox cold to cool and 2) it had been opened a while with some wine sitting in a glass. One of these things, I presume, must have improved it. It also could have been one of those wines that is just better with food.
While I often see changes in red wines, this was my first memorable experience with a white wine showing such drastic improvement after opening. Am I just not drinking enough white wine or is this pretty typical?

Hello Jon,

I notice this frequently, although it's hard to disentangle whether its the breathing or the warming that makes the difference. It is a simple fact that most white wine is served too cool, and especially for something like, e.g., Chardonnay, it makes a huge difference if its served at the right temperature or not. But my hunch (just a hunch) is that the breathing makes a difference as well - there is a difference between a wine's nose/flavors being muted (because its too cool), and them being tight and unexpressive (because its closed), and I have noted white wines improve on one the other, or both of those fronts, indicating that there is a difference in the effect of the two processes.

Best Wishes,
Ryan

I had a similar experience at MOCOOL this past Summer. I brought several of my home made wines with me on the 5 hour drive and when I arrived at the hotel, several MOCOOLers were gathering for a Riesling tasting. I grabbed one of my Rieslings and hastened to meet up with them. When my wine was opened, after a short dunk in an ice chest, it was not what I had been tasting at home - funky aroma and strange flavors. I was embarrassed for having presenting it to the group. I stuck the cork in the bottle and later put it in the fridge in my room. The next day, several of us tried it again and it had returned to being a nice wine, just like what I had at home. I haven't been able to figure it out.

It depends.

I haven't been able to figure it out.

Methinks it was the trip. I know it was a short trip, but even that can skrew up a wine for a least a short time. We never drink a wine we just brought home from the liquor store unless it is an emergency, and in those cases we usually regret it.

It depends.

More seriously, I don't find white vs. red to be the operative question for issues of breathing. Rather, it depends on the particular wine, its age, structure, etc..

I'd say correct serving temperature was more important than oxygen contact. I'd also say that many if not most of the better rieslings benefit from at least a bit of breathing time, if only to let the diesel aromas subside. (I know, I know, some people like it. I like it!) I'm also being instructed at all times to refer to it as "slate" and not "diesel." But my reputation as a wine salesperson depends on me calling 'em like I see 'em, so..."diesel" it is.

[David M. Bueker]

We never drink a wine we just brought home from the liquor store unless it is an emergency...

Yes officer, I know I was speeding, but I have to get this Muscadet home right away! We're about to serve the oysters!

many if not most of the better rieslings benefit from at least a bit of breathing time, if only to let the diesel aromas subside..

It all depends on the selection of course, but I rarely find diesel in riesling. Of course my collection/drinking these days is heavily tilted towards younger off-dry Germans.

[David M. Bueker]

My '98 Catoir Spatlese had some diesel, but just enough to add a bit of complexity that I would not have wanted to miss.

[Jenise]

Jon, my experience is: yes. Though temperature and time in the glass (not to mention the shape of your glassware) can make substantial difference(s), even wines that weren't disappointing neccessarily but just not worthy of superlatives on Day One, out of the fridge, have shown marked improvement on Day Two or Three, also straight out of the fridge. Clearly, exposure to oxygen can be a game changer. To evaluate whether or not your wine is a loser or just tight, try to measure the difference between the nose and the palate. A wine with little nose probably has no room for improvement. But a wine with good aroma but less flavor on the palate will probably grow into it's shoes with airtime. Could take an hour, could take a day, but what you smell WILL eventually be what you taste. Most of the time, anyway.

[David M. Bueker]

A wine with little nose probably has no room for improvement. But a wine with good aroma but less flavor on the palate will probably grow into it's shoes with airtime.

With closed-down German Rieslings it is often the aromatics that are shut while the palate shows interesting things. Some air time lets the aromas open up.

[Jenise]

With closed-down German Rieslings it is often the aromatics that are shut while the palate shows interesting things. Some air time lets the aromas open up.

Yeah I've had that happen too, but more commonly in my experience--across the broad spectrum of whites, and we enjoy many here at Chez J--it's the other way 'round.

...try to measure the difference between the nose and the palate.

Very interesting angle, Jenise. I never would have thought of doing that. Thank you; I'll give it a try.

And thanks to all of you and who shared your thoughts on this!

I had a similar experience at MOCOOL this past Summer. I brought several of my home made wines with me on the 5 hour drive and when I arrived at the hotel, several MOCOOLers were gathering for a Riesling tasting. I grabbed one of my Rieslings and hastened to meet up with them. When my wine was opened, after a short dunk in an ice chest, it was not what I had been tasting at home - funky aroma and strange flavors. I was embarrassed for having presenting it to the group. I stuck the cork in the bottle and later put it in the fridge in my room. The next day, several of us tried it again and it had returned to being a nice wine, just like what I had at home. I haven't been able to figure it out.

Howie, I do think that wine was suffering a bit from travel. Also, it was in company of some darn good German rieslings that had had a day or more to rest after traveling. As you noted, it tasted just fine the next day. I remember you pouring some for me, and it was better than just fine, it was damn good.

It depends.

More seriously, I don't find white vs. red to be the operative question for issues of breathing. Rather, it depends on the particular wine, its age, structure, etc..

Exactly. I opened an '01 Dauvissat La Forest recently that was better the next day. It wasn't the temperature that made the difference, but the oxygen exposure. Couple years down the road, I doubt that would happen.