All it takes is one sharp burst of electricity into cheap wine to transform it into the good stuff and not even the most experienced winetaster will be able to tell. It's called the'plug-in'ageing , details of which can be found in the new scientist magazine and developed by a Chemist at the South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, Xin An Zeng. If proven a sucess this could well be China's age to bask in the warmth of profits that will rain down as their wine sales take off.

How does wine age?
The fact that wine can age is what distinguishes it from most other consumable goods. Complex chemical reactions involving a wine's sugars, acids and phenolic compounds (like the tannins) can alter the aroma, color, mouthfeel and taste of the wine in more pleasing ways.

The ability to age is influenced by several factors including the grape variety, vintage, viticultural practices, wine region and winemaking style. The condition that the wine is kept in after bottling can also influence how well a wine ages and may require significant time and financial investment. Typically only around the top 10% of all red wines and the top 5% of all white wines can actually improve significantly enough with age to make drinking more enjoyable at the five years of age versus the one year of age.

We don't know which Indian wines age well, do you have any thoughts on that?