▁wine ▁industry ' s ▁view ▁on ▁ag ing . ▁One ▁was ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁c ork ▁and ▁bott le ▁which ▁again ▁allowed ▁produ cers ▁to ▁package ▁and ▁store ▁wine ▁in ▁a ▁virt ually ▁air - t ight ▁environment . ▁The ▁second ▁was ▁the ▁growing ▁popular ity ▁of ▁fort ified ▁w ines ▁such ▁as ▁Port , ▁Made ira ▁and ▁Sher ries . ▁The ▁added ▁alco hol ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁a ▁pres erv ative , ▁allowing ▁w ines ▁to ▁surv ive ▁long ▁sea ▁voy ages ▁to ▁England , ▁The ▁Amer icas ▁and ▁the ▁East ▁Ind ies . ▁The ▁English , ▁in ▁particular , ▁were ▁growing ▁in ▁their ▁appreci ation ▁of ▁aged ▁w ines ▁like ▁Port ▁and ▁Cla ret ▁from ▁Bor de aux . ▁Dem and ▁for ▁m ature d ▁w ines ▁had ▁a ▁pron ounced ▁effect ▁on ▁the ▁wine ▁trade . ▁For ▁produ cers , ▁the ▁cost ▁and ▁space ▁of ▁storing ▁bar rel s ▁or ▁bott les ▁of ▁wine ▁was ▁prohib itive ▁so ▁a ▁merchant ▁class ▁evol ved ▁with ▁w are h ouses ▁and ▁the ▁fin ances ▁to ▁facil itate ▁ag ing ▁w ines ▁for ▁a ▁longer ▁period ▁of ▁time . ▁In ▁regions ▁like ▁Bor de aux , ▁O port o ▁and ▁Burg und y , ▁this ▁situation ▁dram atically ▁increased ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁power ▁towards ▁the ▁merchant ▁classes . ▁ ▁A ging ▁potential ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁w ides p read ▁mis con ception ▁that ▁wine ▁always ▁impro ves ▁with ▁age , ▁or ▁that ▁wine ▁impro ves ▁with ▁extended ▁ag ing