🍷 Micro-oxygenation

Micro-oxygenation is a winemaking technique: tiny bubbles of oxygen are fed through a thin tube into a tank of wine. There are so few that the wine does not oxidise but only gently breathes. It resembles what happens in a barrel, when a little air passes through the wood.

The method appeared in the 1990s in France, in the Madiran wine area. The idea was to treat red wines with harsh tannins gently. Oxygen helps tannins join together, and the taste becomes softer. At the same time the wine's colour becomes more stable.

Micro-oxygenation is applied during the ageing stage, usually in steel tanks where no air gets in. This can give a result close to barrel ageing, but faster and cheaper. The amount of oxygen is carefully calculated: too much would spoil the wine.

The technique is used for red wines and is sometimes discussed as controversial: supporters value predictability, opponents prefer traditional barrels. The method does not fully replace the oak barrel but supplements ageing.