Decanting for Dummies Feb 2

Those beautiful decanters that we see in various shapes and sizes around the wine world serve two purposes. For most of us drinking wines that are relatively young , the decanter is used to allow the wine to breathe, softening the tannins and evaporating some of the alcohol to allow the flavors of the wine to emerge. In older wines, decanting helps us to separate the wine from any sediment that has been formed as a natural result of aging. Don’t have a decanter? Any glass or ceramic container will do!
Deciding when to decant can help in your enjoyment of a fine wine, young or old. White or rosé wines rarely improve with decanting, except for high end white Burgundies. Lighter reds also may lose some of their flavor if decanted. Bolder tannic reds, including Cabernet and Shiraz smooth out nicely and allow the nuances of the wine to become more obvious. If no sediment is in the bottle, quickly pour the red wine into the decanter, allowing maximum splashing to assure maximum aeration. Let the wine sit about an hour after decanting if you have time.
In older wines with sediment, let the bottle sit for a few hours to make sure the sediment is settled. Slowly pour the wine into the decanter watching for the first grains of sediment in the neck as you pour. Placing a candle or flashlight under the neck facilitates this. You lose about a half inch of wine in the bottom of the bottle, but the wine you drink will be clear and enjoyable.