Decant or Not Decant Wine Decanting How To

That is the question

There are three main reasons to decant wine, which at it's most basic definition is simply pouring wine into a decanter.

1.) To leave sediment from older red and a few white wines in the decanter instead of being poured into the glass.

Older aged red wines 5 to 10 years old can contain sediment. Usually sediment in the glass will not contribute to the taste in a positive way. To remove the sediment you decant the wine.

First set the bottle upright for 4 to 5 days so all the sediment falls to the bottom of the bottle. Next using a flashlight or candle held to illuminate the neck of the bottle just below the foil.

Finally slowly pour the wine into a decanter. When you near the end of the bottle and see sediment in the neck area quit pouring. Serve the wine from the decanter after you let it settle.

2.) To aireate or let young wines breathe. Decanting wine for about an hour can help open it up revealing more complex aromas and flavors.

We suggest only decanting what you are going to drink at one setting.

We also suggest trying the young wines straight from the bottle. Not swig from it poured into a glass you animal. This way you get to taste the way the wine evolves as it warms up and aireate. As you sniff swirl and taste your way through the glass slowly, you experience more of the character of the wine. The opening up of the bouquet/nose/aroma into more complex flavors and aromas.

3.) For beauty. A beautiful crystal decanter, especially of unusual shape is a great way to showcase a favorite wine at dinner. It makes a great center piece to the meal.

Really most young wines do not need to be decanted bit it would not harm them to decant them for an hour before serving. If decanted taste the wine over the hour or so you leave it in the decanter so not to miss the different stages as it opens up.

Again just decant what you intend to drink. Storing young wine overnight in a decanter that has a large air surface will add nothing to the taste the next day and likely make it flat.

What kind of decanter to use.

This is a personal choice to me. I like one with a flat bottom for plenty of surface area & am found of duck type decanters that are "dishwasher safe".

Most fancy decanters are a pain in the arse to clean. The everyday one we use is pictured below with a link to where you can find it.

 A typical standard carafe from the grocery store will do just fine and would be the Frugal Wino choice.

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