Red or Dead
It was my birthday last week, 36 years old, the misty year of 40 fast becoming a reality. I suppose age isn't really a nagging issue on my mind, it might be rather fun being an eccentric cantankerous old prune 'when I'm 64'.
I like to think that we all improve with age to some extent, much like some wine, in fact wine can even help dampen the harsh onset of years. Red wine has just been hailed good for the creeping deafness that becomes more apparent in senior years. It is thought to protect your inner ear hairs from the over excitable oxygen free radicals who are intent on gradually eroding away those delicate instruments. This might dispel any visions I had of having to use a Herge 'Professor Calculus' style ear trumpet later in life. Red wine is also thought to be good for the arteries and can fight off dementia, some think it can even slow the ageing of cells themselves. The only catch seems to be drinking in moderation, which might take a lifetime of mastering, and by then gout and liver failure could have set in.
I was wondering exactly why some wines improve with age. Apparently this is due to naturally occurring tannins in grape skin and seeds (mainly red wines) which act as a preservative. Over time these help form more complex chemicals, some get so big and complex and self congratulatory that they end up as large awkward lumps of ego (sediment) in the bottom of bottles, rendering the wine less thick inky looking. These wines are also happier while reclining, and accepting the onset of age (yes, parallels can be drawn). This helps to keep the modest lump of Portuguese bark damp, avoiding shrinking and letting the oxygen in, which would spoil the chemical party.
I do not have a wine cellar, but I do have an ample space under the stairs where I will place some very nice birthday wines which would benefit from a little time alone.
I like to think that we all improve with age to some extent, much like some wine, in fact wine can even help dampen the harsh onset of years. Red wine has just been hailed good for the creeping deafness that becomes more apparent in senior years. It is thought to protect your inner ear hairs from the over excitable oxygen free radicals who are intent on gradually eroding away those delicate instruments. This might dispel any visions I had of having to use a Herge 'Professor Calculus' style ear trumpet later in life. Red wine is also thought to be good for the arteries and can fight off dementia, some think it can even slow the ageing of cells themselves. The only catch seems to be drinking in moderation, which might take a lifetime of mastering, and by then gout and liver failure could have set in.
I was wondering exactly why some wines improve with age. Apparently this is due to naturally occurring tannins in grape skin and seeds (mainly red wines) which act as a preservative. Over time these help form more complex chemicals, some get so big and complex and self congratulatory that they end up as large awkward lumps of ego (sediment) in the bottom of bottles, rendering the wine less thick inky looking. These wines are also happier while reclining, and accepting the onset of age (yes, parallels can be drawn). This helps to keep the modest lump of Portuguese bark damp, avoiding shrinking and letting the oxygen in, which would spoil the chemical party.
I do not have a wine cellar, but I do have an ample space under the stairs where I will place some very nice birthday wines which would benefit from a little time alone.
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