Decanting

NOT JUST FOR SNOBS!

The idea of decanting brings images of blue bloods standing around a cocktail table with dozens of beautiful crystal bottles staring back at them. I used to think that people decanted their wine just to look ‘fancy’.

This may be true for some, but the real reason that wine began being decanted is because there was no filtration system in place for wine back in the day before mass production. The wine that would be poured from the barrel would contain a considerable amount of sediment and a system needed to be put in place to remove this before drinking. Now most of our wines are filtered to a very clear state and we don’t have to decant to remove sediment but we do it to enhance the flavour prior to drinking.

When to Decant Wine?

Decant if your wine has sediment

Wines deposit sediment as a natural part of ageing, some more than others. Decanting the wine can help to separate the clear wine from the sediment. Decanting the wine also introduces air into the wine - letting the wine breathe - releasing the aromas and enhancing flavours, particularly useful for red wines that are a little harsh.

If your wine has been ageing for a long time Decanting old wines, just prior to serving, helps to ensure that the wines’ clarity and brilliance are not obscured by any deposit that may have developed over time (pour slowly and avoid decanting the last ounce).

If your wine is very young Decant young wines as much as several hours before they are served to give the wine a chance to breathe, simulating a stage of development that might normally be acquired after years of ageing (pour quickly, even up-ending the bottlethe idea is to expose the wine to air).

Just for fun!

I like to decant just to see if my wine in the decanter tastes different than the wine I poured right out of the bottle. Why not!

Decanters are also pretty so if you are having a party, why not show them off. Just don’t keep them sitting out for too long.

How to Decant Wine?

Aged Wine

For old wines with sediment, you need to be very careful when pouring the wine into a decanter. First, stand the bottle up for several hours to allow the sediment to settle at the bottom. Fine sediment will take longer to settle to the bottom of the bottle.

Use a lit candle or lamp if you can’t see where the sediment is in the bottle. Hold the bottle of wine so that the area just below the neck of the wine bottle can be seen through the light while pouring. Ever so slowly begin pouring the aged wine into the decanter. Be patient. Hold the bottle as much as possible perpendicular to the candle. As the last one-third is pored, carefully watch for sediment. Stop pouring when any sediment appears in the neck of the bottle.

Young Red Wine

For young red wines, splash the wine into the decanter. The more it splashes into the decanter, the more it comes in contact with oxygen. Let the wine settle and rest for a short time.

How long to decant?

If you are decanting your wine in order to let it breathe you will usually want it to sit in the Decanter roughly an hour before drinking. Your goal is for the one to be giving off aromas. If it’s not releasing flavours into the air, it’s going to taste still and blah. There is however a point where you can let your wine decant too long. You would not want your wine to sit out at room temperature for 8 hours or more. At this point, the wine will become oxidised and begin to taste more like vinegar and/or sheer. Remember, back in the old days wine was kept at about 50 degrees so being at 70+ for a substantial amount of time would be bad for the wine.

What Kind of Decanter?

Wine decanter design varies from purely functional to extravagantly decorated, but sometimes unusual design and functionality can go hand-in-hand as in the Orbital Decanter that, when removed from its base, will sit elegantly on your table while a gentle orbital movement increases the breathing of your wine with minimal disturbance. But the basic point of the decanter is to let air into the wine and to remove the sediment so whichever type you prefer is the one you should choose. There really is no right or wrong decanter.

Of course, you can always let your wine breathe by just taking the cork out of the bottle, but very little air touches the surface and it will take much longer to achieve the desired effect. Some experts prefer to let the wine breathe in the wineglass but personally, I find it hard to wait patiently once it’s been poured!