Technological innovations in the world of wine make it possible to improve the tasting experience for lovers of good bottles. Among the new features, let's highlight the wine key, a utensil capable of changing the wine in just a few seconds. But is the wine key really effective ? This is what we will determine in this article.
Understanding how a wine key works
The wine key is an oenology accessory invented by a chemistry professor and an oenologist, and distributed by the Peugeot brand. His promise? Obtain the effects of natural wine aging in just a few seconds .
The wine key appears as a thin aluminum rod, inside which we find a copper pellet . On contact with wine, this small tablet releases electrons, like a battery. This chemical reaction then causes oxidation , responsible for the aging of the wine.
Logically, the longer the key is immersed in the wine, the greater the evolution. Thus, Peugeot gives equivalences:
- 1 second corresponds to one year of aging;
- 3 seconds corresponds to 3 years;
- 10 seconds equals 10 years...
The wine key then works on all types of wines , whatever their aging potential: red wines, white wines, rosé wines, sparkling wines...
Why use a wine key?
The advantage of such a utensil is to be able to age a wine that is too young , and allow it to improve its organoleptic qualities in record time. This is often the case, for example, with wines bought in supermarkets, which we want to taste quickly. This can also be an interesting tool when you realize, at the first tasting, that the bottle was opened too early.
The wine key is rather a utensil intended for individuals. Professionals prefer to wait a few years to taste their best bottles, and benefit from a natural aging process. On the other hand, the key can be useful in determining the peak of a case of wine . All you have to do is test the key of a wine on a bottle, in order to know its aging potential , and to precisely define what will be the perfect year to open the other bottles.
Test: the key to wine with white wine
To verify the effectiveness of the wine key , a test was carried out with a bottle of 100% viognier white wine . When opened, without using the wine key, the wine is fruity and fresh, with aromas of white fruits and a nervous attack.
After 1 second
After dipping the wine key for a second in the white wine, no change is noticeable in the color of the wine. On the nose, we already note an evolution of aromas , with more marked fruit notes. In the mouth, we discover more roundness, with a less nervous and more ripe wine. The changes appear to correspond to a one-year development.
After 3 seconds
After 3 seconds of immersion of the wine key, which should correspond to 3 years of aging in the cellar, no change is noticeable, whether in terms of the color of the coat, the nose or even the mouth.
After 10 seconds
After dipping the key in white wine for 10 seconds, no change is noted.
The key to wine therefore seems to be effective in saving a few months on a white wine, let's see if the effectiveness is more notable with red wines.
Test: the key to wine with red wine
For this second test, a bottle of Côtes du Rhône Village red was chosen to verify the effectiveness of the wine key. At the opening, the wine is young, marked by a dense garnet color and purple reflections. The nose of this wine from the Rhône Valley is intense and open, and the palate reveals aromas of black fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant), with a round attack and a rather tangy finish.
After 1 second
After 1 second of immersion of the wine key in the red vintage, no modification is noticeable, whether to the eye, the nose or the mouth.
After 3 seconds
After leaving the key tablet in contact with the wine for 3 seconds, we still do not see any noticeable change .
After 10 seconds
The tester does not give up, but after 10 seconds of immersion, the color remains the same, retaining its purple reflections typical of young wines. However, the tasting seems more promising, we see some signs of aging . On the nose, the wine is more generous, with aromas of cooked and jammed fruits . In the mouth too, we discover a beautiful evolution, as if the bottle of wine had spent 2 to 3 years in the aging cellar. We are still far from the 10 years of evolution promised by Peugeot, and no tertiary aroma is detectable, but the result is nevertheless surprising.
The Wine Key promises to age your wines in seconds. In fact, white wines and red wines do not react in the same way, and the result does not live up to the promise. The wine key therefore remains an interesting fun object for opening a young wine , but it will not find favor with wine professionals.
