When to decant a wine and why
Some wines will benefit from aerating or decanting, essentially exposing the wine to oxygen and letting the wine breathe. Many wines will tend to open up and soften when they are exposed to air, particularly wines that are most tannic when they are young.
Let’s get into the detail…
Generally speaking, wines with a high tannin profile will benefit with some aeration which contributes to the experience of drinking the wine so it isn’t overpowered by a tannic punch. Red wines are great for decanting as generally speaking, they have lots of tannins. Wines from warmer climates such as Australia or California can produce wine with stronger tannins. That being said, you can decant a white wine but it’s typically not as common, majority of white wines are enjoyed when young due to their acidic and fruity profile.
Young wines, especially reds that are often known for their high tannic profiles, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz or Bordeaux are great for ageing. Keep in mind, there are some wines that shouldn’t be decanted, these reds are more so those that have been aged for a long time and are very delicate. They will be are sensitive to oxygen and will become dull and flat if they are exposed to too much oxygen. Some of these wines might be older Pinot Noir, red Burgundy or older Chianti Classicos made from Sangiovese.
You might have thought about it by now, but tannin is a key component and acts as a great preservative in wine, allowing it to ages for decades. Obviously with the right ageing conditions and allowing a wine to breathe allows tannin to really soften as you sip before you taste the wine.
So, the quick and short way to remember the difference before we go into the detail and technical lingo:
Aerating - Exposing the wine to oxygen – The simplest version of this is when you pour a wine into a bowled glass and swirl it around. The surface area allows oxygen to the wine, allowing it to breathe.
Decanting – Technically the most correct term, which is separating the wine from the sediment and is most efficient when a wine has been aged. To decant a wine, a decanter is use.
Aerating a wine exposes it to oxygen, allowing it to peak with the aroma compounds being released. Aerating a wine can simply be done by swirling your glass, with a glass that is not too full or by using an aerator to run the wine through as it goes into your glass. An aerator forces wines through a small tube in the device of pressurized oxygen and aerating the wine instantly. These are just as effective as decanting a wine for 30 minutes.
An aerating device either sits in the wine bottle opening as a bottle-stopper or can come in a separate free hand device where the aerator is held above the glass and you pour wine into it.
Technically speaking, decanting is little different and is more complex than aerating a wine…
We should probably start by addressing that to what a decanter is and what it actually looks like – a decanter is generally speaking, a large-bottomed glass bottle where an entire bottle of wine can be poured into to decant the wine. The more surface area the wine is exposed to, the greater level of aeration.
Decanting a wine technically means to pour the wine off any sediment in the bottom of the bottle, that being said, there needs to be sediment in the first place which comes from an aged wine to truely decant a wine. Sediment is present in wine usually greater than 10 years old. Essentially sediment is long chains of molecules of colour pigment and tannin that have precipitated out of the wine over time.
If you’ve been waiting to decant a wine for a good few years, a day or so before you plan to crack open the wine stand it up right (hopefully you have been storing your wine horizontally and in the right cellaring conditions!). This will allow the sediment, which is mostly tannin and colour pigment, to settle to the bottle of the bottle – then we wait for the final moment you’ve been waiting for to watch the wine come to life and to be enjoyed!
Wine tip: If you are waiting to decant an aged wine also remember not to start decanting it too long before dinner as the wine will become dull by the time you go to drink it. As a general guide, less than an hour before serving dinner, start to decant the wine.
Aerator or decanter?
Purchasing a wine aerator is a good idea and rest assured it is not something that will lie in your kitchen draw unused. Pleasingly enough they are affordable and will last you years so we would highly recommend getting your hands on an aerator if you can, or alternatively a simple swirl of the glass will also do the trick.
A decanter is also a good investment, not to mention being fancy to whip out at your next dinner party! Decanters can vary in price quite a bit so always take a look around for the right price range you’re looking for and of course ensure it is quality glass. They also come in some funky shapes which are great to make your dinner party a little fancier so get one that suits your personal style.
