Decanting wine is a crucial step in properly preparing a tasting of older bottles. Decanting really is particularly well suited to old wines. What does it mean to decant wine? Decanting consists of separating your precious liquid from the sediment in the bottle.
Why decant wine?
Decanting wine separates the sediment from the liquid. It’s a particularly essential step for old wines, because that’s where the sediment is often heaviest. Sediment is one of the signs of a wine’s evolution, which we’ll come back to in future articles. Decanting is the act that lets you avoid getting sediment in your glass and so make the most of your tasting.
How to decant wine?
Even before thinking about decanting itself, a few steps make the process easier. First, stand your bottle upright a few hours before opening it. The sediment will gradually slide toward the bottom of the bottle, which makes decanting much easier. Then open the bottle and wipe the neck.
Once that’s done, gently pour the wine into a decanter. Place a candle below the neck of the bottle so you can decant the wine properly. The candle helps light up the sediment so you can make sure it isn’t transferred into the decanter as well. Avoid swirling or jostling the wine: the goal is to reduce contact between the wine and the outside air to prevent oxidation.
Be sure to choose a good decanter for the job. For example, this one lets you pour the wine easily and protects it from oxidation by closing up and leaving little room for oxygen. This decanter shape is therefore perfectly suited to decanting wine.
Finally, one question comes up often: how long should you decant a red wine? Plan to decant the wine about one to two hours before serving. Beyond that, the quality of your wine could be diminished by too much exposure to oxygen.
When to decant wine?
You should decant wine a few hours before serving. Stand the bottle upright to let the sediment slide to the bottom. One to two hours before serving (no more), you can pour it into a decanter.
As we mentioned, decanting is only for bottles that already have a few years on them, because that’s where sediment forms. For younger, more vigorous wines, we’d recommend aerating the wine instead.
Which wine to decant?
Decanting is meant for wines that have had time to age well in the cellar. As you’ll have understood, decanting an old wine serves to separate the sediment from the liquid. The sediment could cloud your tasting. So decanting wine is quite different from aerating wine.
Now that you’ve got the hang of this technique, all that’s left is to put it into practice. Then you can make a toast while savoring the nectar of a beautiful bottle.
You now know exactly what decanting wine is. You’ll be able to taste your wine like no one else. Take the chance to fill out a tasting sheet based on what you discover! And good news, you can get one for free.
