Angel's Share

When wine and brandy is aged, it is often aged in a big oak barrel. These oak barrels are not airtight - some tiny amounts of wine can seep through the tiny holes in the seams of the oak barrels. Over the months and years that a wine ages, a tiny amount of wine is lost. This is called the "angel's share". Winemakers consider it a fair trade - a small amount of wine is lost, and in return the wine takes on richer flavors from the oak barrel aging.

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