Aged Wine in Seconds
I have heard of turning rotgut vodka into something decent through the use of a filter and we have noticed a rash of ways to fix the dreaded cork taint, but can an inferior wine be turned into a superior way. The London Times reports on a new way to turn the swill into something delicious in seconds flat. In Japan, Hiroshi Tanaka has spent 15 years working on an electrolysis device that simulates aging in wines. A cheap wine can be turned into something that tastes like something gar more expensive and of course, the wine industry is all over it. The machine pumps wine and tap water through an electrolysis chamber with platinum electrodes. The water and wine are separated by an "ion exchange membrane" which doesn't dilute the wine and rearranges the hydrogen and oxygen atoms around the alcohol replicating the process that occurs during wine aging. The device might even be used for aging entire battles before bottling and they are also working on a device for small scale use that could be used in restaurants to spiff up the house wine. And yes, it might eventually be a gadget for home use. Tanaka also believes his device might work with aging whiskies. I'm guessing that this thing will be on sale at Hammacher Schlemmer within a few years.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Max Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
This is to wine as a microwave is to food.
Speaking as a purist, this makes me frown.