Why is Baijiu more mellow after a long time?

Descriptions of Baijiu such as "aged wine", "aged wine", "wine is an old fragrance" are often heard when we come into contact with wine, so are these statements correct?

Everyone knows Baijiu, and everyone has heard and believed the phrase "the older the wine, the more fragrant it is". But when it comes to the reason, I believe that many friends do not know. Let's take a look at why "wine" is more fragrant as it ages.

There is a certain scientific reason for "the older the wine, the more fragrant it is". Generally speaking, new wine is highly irritating, the smell is not good, and often has a bad smell and a new wine smell. After a certain period of storage, the wine becomes soft and the aroma is prominent. Compared with the new wine, it is mellow and soft. This phenomenon is called Baijiu's aging. The changes of Baijiu during the aging process are roughly divided into two aspects: physical changes and chemical changes.

Physical changes in wine

The physical changes are mainly the rearrangement and volatilization process of wine molecules. The more alcohol molecules with a large degree of freedom in Baijiu, the greater the irritation. With the prolongation of storage time, a large molecular association group is gradually formed between alcohol and water molecules, and alcohol molecules are bound and their activity is reduced, giving people a soft feeling on the taste.

During the storage process, some low-boiling insoluble gases or liquids, such as oxygen sulfide, acral and other low-boiling aldehyde des and esters, can evaporate naturally. After storage, the off-odor substances can be naturally released, and the old wine can greatly reduce the pungent smell and increase the aroma.

Chemical changes in wine

The chemical changes of Baijiu in natural aging are mainly comprehensive changes such as oxidation, reduction and esterification. The esters contained in Baijiu are one of the main fragrant components in wine. The formation of esters is mainly produced by the action of microorganisms during the fermentation process.

However, it is also formed through a slow esterification reaction during storage. During storage, a part of alcohol is oxidized to form acetaldehyde, acetaldehyde is further oxidized to form acetic acid, and acetic acid further interacts with alcohol to form ethyl acetate and higher esters. A part of the aldehyde interacts with alcohol to form acetals, thereby reducing the spiciness of the wine. Increase the aroma and give the wine an aromatic, soft, soft and harmonious feeling.