Decanting Wine
Decanting is the act of slowly pouring your wine from its bottle into a carafe or decanter. There are two different reasons for decanting. The main purpose is to stimulate the wine by allowing it to “breathe”. In the case of older wines, there may also be a need to separate the wine from any sediment in the bottle.
Most wine experts recommend a glass decanter with a long neck and wide bottom. This design allows for the wine to come into contact with a large surface area, absorbing oxygen as it is poured. When the wine comes in contact with oxygen, the aromas in the wine are released and the complexities of the wine become more pronounced. Decanting will also extenuate the wine’s characteristics and soften the tannins in full bodied reds. All wines will taste better if they are allowed to breathe (aerate) before serving. This is why fine restaurants open your bottle and let it stand for awhile prior to serving. However, by decanting the entire bottle, more of the wine is exposed to air and is thereby aerated more fully.
Young Wines: Although we, at Carafe, recommend that you allow your wine to mature for a few months, we realize that sometimes this is just not possible. Next time you find yourself about to open a wine that is not fully aged, why not try decanting it? You will notice that the decanting process in some ways helps to replicate the aging process that normally takes place in the bottle over time. For example, youthful, full bodied red wines tend to have a smooth, mellower finish when decanted. Unlike older wines, there is no need to worry about going slowly as the splashing effect of young wines actually helps the wine to aerate.
Older wines: Long before modern fining and filtering techniques it was necessary to decant most wines as they usually contained a great deal of sediment. Although almost all wines can benefit from aerating, many older wines or fine wines will still need to be decanted in order to separate the wine itself from any sediment or wine diamonds that are present. Overtime, tannins and other solids tend to fall out from the wine, forming a bed of sediment in the bottle. This is a natural process as wine matures.
Also, wines made from high quality grapes that contain an abundance of natural tartaric acid will form tiny crystals known as wine diamonds. These tasteless deposits are harmless but unappealing. Slowly decanting will ensure these solids to remain in the bottle.
The best way to decant older wines is to first remove the shrink cap so the entire neck of the bottle is visible. Then, let the bottle stand upright until the solids are settled at the bottom of the bottle. This may take a few hours. Carefully uncork the bottle and gently transfer the wine into a Carafe – slow and steady. By using a candle or flashlight, continue pouring until you notice the sediment has reached the neck of the bottle. Expect to lose about half an inch (30 ml) of wine along with the debris. If you are a little nervous about this process, you can always use a bottle funnel with screen to catch any particles. Cover the carafe if you are not going to serve the wine right away as the decanted wine will soon start to deteriorate. After performing the long standing ritual of decanting, you will now have a beautiful carafe of wine that will be a distinct pleasure to serve your guests!