There are common observations in our daily lives. For instance, when we take a bite of an apple and put it aside, we notice that the white part where we took the bite has turned brown when we pick it up again. When we take the second bite, we realize that the freshness of the first bite is only reached when our teeth sink deeper, but we don't pay much attention to it since we already know this.

Both the visual and sensory differences in the apple and the rust spots appearing on exposed metal are the effects of an element we know but cannot see: oxygen. The existence of wine, our common interest that brings most of us together on these pages, largely depends on oxygen, and its quality is related to how oxygen is used or affects it.

At WAYANA, preventing the deterioration of wine is our top priority. Since we cannot serve wine that has lost its quality, we must ensure it does not come into contact with air (read: oxygen). This is especially crucial for us as we serve all our wines by the glass. To achieve this, we use a special device to pour wine from the bottle to the glass without removing the cork, thus preventing contact with air.

But oxygen is not just a gas that destroys and has negative effects. In fact, it is both an inseparable part of production and one of the fundamental rules of obtaining quality wine by using oxygen wisely. The secret here lies in controlled and moderate oxygen exposure. Let's take a look together at the role of oxygen in different stages of production.

In natural wine production, fermentation can also be done in clay pots and concrete tanks, and air is not isolated in this process. Moreover, to make natural yeast more effective, the must, which includes the skins, is mixed at regular intervals to ensure more contact with air (that is, oxygen). So, at this stage, oxygen takes on one of the most important tasks in production.

After fermentation, the active changing feature of oxygen evolves into ensuring a balanced transformation of the product. Because intense oxygen exposure at this stage means the wine ages quickly and loses its quality. Therefore, wine experts monitor the changes in the wine with regular checks and track the process of becoming suitable for bottling day by day.

Once the wine is bottled, is its contact with air completely cut off? The answer might surprise you, but no. Quality wines are sealed with stoppers made of natural cork. The feature of these stoppers, made from a special oak bark, is that they have a porous and flexible structure. The wine inside the bottles sealed with this cork continues to have contact with oxygen to the extent allowed by the cork. We call this 'micro-oxidation.' In fact, the aging of wine is shaped by the micro changes it undergoes during the time spent in barrels and tanks under the producer's control and then in the bottle.

What happens to the wine you buy to drink at home but leave after closing it again after one glass? Actually, from the moment you remove the cork, the protection conditions are eliminated, and rapid oxidation in the wine begins. The inevitable decline in the wine starts, but the loss in flavor becomes more pronounced as time goes on. It would be good to consume your wine within the next two days. After that, you can continue to drink it, accepting whatever comes out. 

In another article, we will look at the tools and methods we use in our service to protect our wines from the negative effects of oxygen for a long time.