If you love wine, you’ve probably seen a wine being poured into a decanter before. But why do we do it? Is it just to make us look fancy (it’s possible), or is it for a reason? The answer is that we decant wine to help aerate it. So why is wine aeration important? This guide covers everything you need to know about aerating wine, from why we do it to what you should aerate and how. Trust me, it’s not as complicated as it looks, and you also don’t need a fancy decanter to do it—although they are fun.
Why is wine aeration important?
Aerating wine is essential for improving the overall sensory experience of a wine and unlocking it’s full potential. It enhances the wine’s flavour, aroma and texture, and helps it reach its peak tasting sooner.
Here are some of the benefits of aerating wine:
- Enhance flavour: Oxygenation triggers chemical relations in the wine, helping the integration of flavours and allowing different elements to harmonize. This can help release the wine’s full range of flavours.
- Releasing aromas: Aeration allows the wine to breathe, releasing the wine’s full range of aromas.
- Soften texture: Aeration can help soften the tannins and create a smoother mouthfeel. This is particularly important for young, red wines.
- Evaporate unfavourable compounds: Aeration can help evaporate undesirable compounds like sulfites and ethanol.
- Reach peak tasting sooner: Aeration can help the wine reach its peak tasting sooner.
There are a lot of misconceptions around aerating wine, including that you should only aerate older wines, and that only red wines can be aerated. But the truth is, many wubes, whether they are old or young, or red or white, benefit from being aerated! The only wines that may not benefit from aeration are lighter-bodied reds like Pinot Noir, and fresh white wines like Verdelho, Sauvignon Blanc and unwooded Chardonnay.
How to aerate wine
You might think that the only way to aerate your wine is to purchase an expensive decanter, but good news! You only have to purchase an expensive decanter if you want to. There are actually several ways to aerate wine, including:
- Pouring into a glass: Open the bottle and pour the wine into a glass, then swirl it around.
- Using a decanter: Pour the wine into a decanter, swirl it around, then set it aside.
- Using a wine aerator: Attach a wine aerator to the bottle to aerate the wine while pouring.
Aerating wine is allowing the wine to ‘breathe’ so as long as the wine is in contact with oxygen, you’re aerating it.
In summary: Why is wine aeration important?
I hope you’ve learnt more about aerating wine and why it’s important. But also, that aerating wine doesn’t always require fancy decanters. Whether decanting, swirling in the glass, or using aerating gadgets, the process of aeration enhances the what you get out of a wine in every sip.