Ullage refers to the space at the top of a container and is used in wine appraisals to determine quality and cost. The word comes from the Latin oculus and can indicate the condition of the wine and cork. Ullage can promote oxidation, but topping off can affect the taste and value of the wine.
Ullage is a Middle English word meaning “the space at the top of a cask, bottle, or cask.” It is used in a wide variety of industries to refer to the liquid missing from a container or the space left behind by that missing liquid. This term commonly appears in wine bottle appraisals, where ullage can be a critical factor in determining quality and cost, especially in older wine bottles.
The roots of this word are quite interesting. Ullage comes from the Latin oculus, “eye”, a term that has been borrowed to refer to the bunghole in a barrel. The French adopted this word as ‘ueiller’, ‘to fill a cask’, and the Normans brought it to England as ‘ullage’, using it to refer to the level of filling of casks up to the bunghole. Eventually, ullage came to refer more generally to the empty space in any type of container, from a juice bottle to a rocket.
In wine, the ullage is fundamental. Howling occurs over time as the wine in the bottle slowly evaporates, and the level of ullage can change dramatically if the wine is mishandled or the cork is faulty. Ullage is usually described in terms of the shoulder and neck of the bottle. Many new wines fill up to the neck, with the ullage slowly sliding down the shoulder over time. Looking through old wine listings for sale, you may have noticed references to “ullage” which are used by buyers to get some clues about the condition of the wine and the cork.
If the ullage in a bottle of wine is significant, it can promote oxidation, which will cause the wine to skid off. For this reason, wine barrels and bottles need to be topped up periodically, ensuring that the wine level remains high. Some wineries offer an annealing service on older vintages, allowing consumers to bring in bottles of wine so their corks can be removed and the bottle can be refilled before being resealed.
When a new bottle of wine is purchased, if there is a lot of room in the bottle, it can be a sign that the cork is in bad shape and the wine may have spoiled. For this reason, it’s a good idea to check the wine in the store before buying to gauge the ullage. When buying older vintages, always consider the ullage, and if the high is high, ask the seller if the wine is completed. Topping off prevents oxidation, but can also affect the taste of the wine and its value.
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