the role of oxygen

I'm now working on my 9th kit and having a blast - with some good results. In all stages from fermentation to bottling - the goal is to keep out oxygen. That's why we use air locks and sometimes top up or add marbles - all to keep out air.

But when we drink wine - we need to let it 'breathe' - and let the air back in. In my experience, the kit wine tastes much 'nicer' and 'smoother' after 30 minutes in the glass.

In fact, some bottles even taste better with a few days exposure. Am I missing something - or is that the right concept? Air out - then back in. Thanks.

Its all about "controlled oxidation" in red wines. You are right that kit wines need a lot of air time to open up. A small barrel can work wonders in the area of micro oxidation and concentration through evaporation.

"Controlled Oxidation" THAT'S the ticket!! Decanting is a process as aged as wine itself. It does have function, just at an appropriate time. If we are not careful to prevent introducing too much O2 to our concoction at the early stages, spoilage will occur. From pitching the yeast to draining that last drop out of the glass is all a process

Not sure that the time is always as short as 30 minutes. A couple of weeks ago, I opened a bottle of a chocolate wine I made more than a year ago but my wife and I never finished the bottle. We tasted it again last weekend and the flavors were even better, more pronounced and forward.