Decanting wine often confuses many enthusiasts. Why should you decant wine? How long should it be decanted? Which wines require decanting? Is it essential or merely pretentious? It's time to clarify this process. Decanting helps you avoid wasting a good bottle of wine.
WHAT DOES DECANTING MEAN?
At its core, decanting involves transferring your wine from its original bottle into another container. But why is this necessary? Decanting serves three primary purposes: separating sediment from the wine, aerating the wine to enhance its flavors, and rescuing wine from a bottle with a broken cork. Additionally, decanting can make the wine more enjoyable for your guests. Exposure to air allows the wine to breathe, smoothing out its flavors and making it more appealing to a wider range of palates.
REMOVING SEDIMENT THROUGH DECANTING
Sediment in wine is a normal occurrence, particularly in older red wines and vintage ports. Over time, the color pigments and tannins naturally bind together and settle out of the liquid. While sediment itself is not harmful, it can negatively affect the drinking experience by creating a gritty texture and imparting a bitter taste. Decanting is an effective method to prevent sediment from ending up in your wine glass.
Before you begin the decanting process, ensure your wine has been standing upright for at least 24 hours. This allows the sediment to settle at the bottom of the bottle. When ready to decant, slowly pour the wine into a decanter, taking care not to tilt the bottle too much. If you notice sediment approaching the neck of the bottle, pause the pour and allow the sediment to resettle before continuing. Always leave a small amount of wine at the bottom of the bottle to avoid transferring any sediment into the decanter.
It's important to note that most red wines will develop sediment after being in the bottle for 5-10 years. Therefore, decanting is a useful practice for any aged red wine to enhance your overall wine-drinking experience.
DECANTING TO INTRODUCE OXYGEN
Similar to the effect achieved by swirling, decanting wine allows it to come into contact with oxygen. This exposure helps to enhance the flavors by softening the tannins and releasing gases that have accumulated during the wine's time in the bottle. Additionally, it allows previously dormant flavors and aromas to expand and breathe.
Decanting can also help eliminate off-aromas caused by volatile compounds such as carbon dioxide or hydrogen sulfide. If you detect smells reminiscent of rotten eggs or struck matches when you first open your wine, aerating it can be beneficial. Allowing the wine to breathe for about 30 minutes is usually sufficient to dissipate these unwanted aromas, leaving you with a wine that is otherwise flawless.
If you’re pressed for time and cannot decant your wine, you can still achieve similar results by agitating the wine. This can be done by swirling it in your glass or pouring it back and forth between two glasses. These methods help introduce oxygen quickly, enhancing the wine’s overall profile.
DECANTING TO REMOVE CORK FRAGMENTS
We've all experienced it: you start to open a bottle of wine with your trusty opener, only for the cork to crumble or break apart. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean your wine is spoiled. Similar to the sediment removal method, you can slowly pour the wine into a decanter, ensuring the cork fragments remain in the bottle. If the cork has broken into smaller pieces, you can use a coffee filter or sieve to catch them while pouring.
HOW LONG DO YOU DECANT WINE?
Now we delve into the more nuanced aspect of decanting: timing. How long should you leave your wine in the decanter? The answer depends on the wine's style and age. Older or more delicate wines like Pinot Noir typically require only 15-30 minutes in the decanter. These wines generally have a refined structure and softer tannins compared to their younger counterparts.
On the other hand, young red wines such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Shiraz, known for their robust and tannic profiles, may benefit from anywhere between 30 minutes to 3 hours of decanting. For young wines without sediment, you can employ a technique known as shock decanting: tilting the bottle vertically into the decanter to let the wine flow under the force of gravity.
It's worth noting that certain white wines and rosés can also benefit from decanting, particularly if they exhibit hints of volatile acidity or reduction (such as odors resembling rotten eggs or burnt rubber). In such cases, a shorter decanting period of around 15 minutes can often remedy these issues. However, one type of wine that should never be decanted is sparkling wine, as decanting will remove its carbonation, leaving it flat.
Almost all wines can potentially benefit from decanting, so if you're inclined to do so, go ahead. Don't have a decanter? No problem. As mentioned earlier, simply swirling the wine in your glass or using an aerator—where you pour the wine through a device that exposes it to oxygen—can achieve similar results.
