Decanting wine seems like something that only a wine snob would do, but I am here to tell you that anyone can, and should, decant wine! No, you don’t need some $500 fancy glass decanter to do it either. But why do we decant wine, and why is it important? I’m going to get down to the reasons why, and help you understand how you can decant wine regardless of what you have on hand.
What is decanting wine?
Decanting wine sounds like a complicated thing to do, but it is actually really simple. It means to pour wine from one vessel, aka its bottle, into another. Easy right? You don’t need to be a wine expert to do this – and you certainly don’t need a fancy device to do it either!
Why is decanting wine important?
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There are a few reasons why wine should be decanted. First of all, in old bottles, it helps to separate the clean wine from the sediment at the bottom of the bottle. The result? Less stuff at the bottom of your glass!
This might be one reason, but the key reason is to aerate it. Oxygen is no good for wines that are being aged, but for wines that you want to drink, it is your best friend. Slowly pouring a bottle into another vessel helps to open up the wine by exposing it to oxygen. This helps to open up the aromas and flavours in the wine. It can also help to soften the wine, so will make a highly tannic, heavy-bodied red smoother.
This is based on personal preference though. Some people believe that simply swirling the wine in the glass will do the trick. Some also think that decanting the wine will let too much oxygen in and ruin the wine’s flavours. Personally? I think it’s a good idea. Mainly because of the third reason to decant wine which is that it looks fancy. I mean, having friends over for dinner and bringing out a decanted wine immediately makes it feel more special.
Does it only apply to red wine?
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There is a bit of a myth out there that you should only decant old, red wines. Or even just red wine. But the truth is that you can actually decant any wine. This also applies to sparkling, although you will lose some bubbles so I probably wouldn’t myself.
For red wine, it’s a great option for those heavier reds that are quite tannic, particularly those that are a bit young. It will help to soften out the flavours. This is great for your everyday drinking wines!
You can also decant white wines too, and some will really benefit from this! It just comes down to personal preference and what you want to decant. It’s particularly good for whites that you age such as Chardonnay, but not as necessary for young white wines.
Basically, it is down to personal preference! If you want to decant the wine, go right ahead!
How to decant wine
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Because decanting is actually simply pouring the wine from one thing into another thing, your options are endless. You could easily use any empty container – as long as it is clean. They may not look as pretty, but you can use whatever you have on hand that will hold a bottle of wine. Then, you can pour it back into the original bottle if you want to serve it looking nice.
If you want something a little fancier, you can also opt for a proper decanter. These vary in price but effectively do the same thing. They are a great thing to have on hand if you entertain a lot, and on the plus side look great as a display item!
For both of these methods, decant the wine slowly into the new vessel. Then leave to sit for 15-20 minutes before serving. It’s as simple as that!
Another option is to opt for a decanter that either sits on top of the bottle or that you pour the wine through. These aerate the wine as it is poured, making it a lot easier to do with every bottle. They also mean less washing up! These are a great choice if you don’t have a lot of space, and they’re quite affordable too.
So should you do it?
So should you decant wine? It does come down to personal preference, but my motto is why not? You may as well! I’ve found that it really helps to open up the wines I’m drinking, so I tend to do it a lot. But you may not want to, and that’s ok too! It’s also fun to experiment and see what wines you enjoy better decanted versus not. You might be surprised by how much of a difference it makes!