People are always looking for ways to slow down or reverse the aging process in
themselves, but often are looking for ways to speed it up in other area of life. From cheese to fruitcake and, perhaps
most importantly, wine, flavors are enhanced and mellowed as some foods age. Hiroshi Tanaka, a Japanese man, claims to
have perfected a machine that can turn a new, young wine into a smooth, aged one in just a few moments, all with a
simple jolt of electricity. His electrolyzing process, reports CNN, would save an enormous
amount of money by reducing overall production time and eliminating the need for storage areas and aging
barrels.
During the natural maturation process, alcohol mixes with clusters of water molecules, causing the wine to mellow. Though the exact process seems to be a matter of scientific debate, Tanaka says that his process instantly breaks up the water clusters, reducing a long, slow process to a few seconds.
Tanaka says that he has already met resistance from many wine makers, particularly those in France, though wine producers in California and Washington State have expressed an interest in the stereo-sized device. The United States is already one of the leading consumers of wine in the world and could be the largest by as early as 2008, so if Tanaka's method gains acceptance here, it would be a huge success for him. He currently has plans for his US affiliate to start offering the treated wine via the internet later this year.
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