Is It Worth Your Time To Froth Wine?
If you're on TikTok, you may have noticed the wine trend floating around advocating for people to froth their wine before drinking it. It wasn't that long ago that TikTok was talking about frothing tequila, and the trend has since begun to expand into new territory. To help us understand the dos and don'ts of wine frothing, we reached out to Bright Cellars Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis for her take.
"Frothing is used to quickly introduce oxygen," Fallis told us. "Many luxury level wines ... are not ready to drink upon release, requiring time to settle in a cellar or wine cabinet." This is where frothing can come into play, Fallis says, "For those who don't want to wait ... aeration to hasten the aging process has become popular." Not every wine requires aeration, though. "Everyday wines, like those in our Bright Cellars portfolio, are ready to drink upon release, no cellaring or aeration needed."
Fallis isn't opposed to frothing in the right circumstances, saying, "It is possible that the wine will taste slightly fruitier, and have a slightly smoother texture, if it is the pricier luxury category and just released." But, it wasn't an unequivocal yes, either. Some wines are delicate, and violent frothing can end up doing more harm than good. Fallis said, "My personal recommendation is to naturally, gently expose the wine to air."
It's truly a matter of preference
Whether or not frothing your wine actually benefits the flavor or makes it smoother is going to be up to your preferences. To find out if it's worth the hype, why not try it for yourself? "Here's a suggestion," Fallis told us. "Try our Hosting and Toasting Bundle ... Invite a few friends over, pour even amounts of a wine side by side in two glasses, froth one, and don't froth the other. Taste the unfrothed wine first. Then, after the foam settles, taste the frothed version and take a vote. It is really up to personal taste so be ready for some great convos and debates."
Of course, not all wine should be frothed. Sparkling wine is carbonated, which gives it the bubbly character we know and love. As for the difference between frothing red or white wine, Fallis felt like frothing would more often benefit a red wine than a white if you were to do it at all.