Decanting wine is an age-old tradition that continues to captivate wine enthusiasts and novices alike. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, decanting serves a crucial purpose in unlocking the full potential of a bottle, allowing flavors to breathe and evolve. Whether you’re a seasoned oenophile or just dipping your toes into the world of wine appreciation, understanding the art and science behind decanting can elevate your tasting experience to new heights. 

The practice of decanting wine is when you pour the wine from the bottle into another vessel. This allows the sediment at the bottom of the bottle to separate from the clear wine and aerate it. Some wines can also be double-decanted. This is when the wine is poured into a vessel and then poured back into the bottle. Double decanting is done on more expensive wines at restaurants and when you want to show the original bottle to your guests. 

Benefits

Decanting holds many benefits for wine, including:

• Removing sediment. This is the solid material that settles down at the bottom of the bottle as the wine ages. It is commonly found in older red wine bottles and vintage ports. While it isn’t harmful to you, it usually tastes bitter and unpleasant. Sediment may also make some of the wine’s flavors taste duller. By decanting your wine, you can get only the clear liquid without any sediment intrusion.

• Aeration. When wine is poured into a decanter, it is introduced to oxygen which causes various changes to occur. This process allows the wine’s aroma and flavor to open up. If your wine has harsher tannins, oxidation helps them soften and in the end, makes the wine more pleasant to drink. 

• Proper serving temperature. Pouring your wine into a decanter isn’t just for show – it helps bring out the rich flavors and gets it to just the right warmth for sipping. Red wines love being a cozy 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit. If your wine’s been chilling, give it a moment in a decanter to warm up a bit and really shine.

• Remove broken cork pieces. If the cork has broken, you can retain the cork pieces in the neck of the bottle by slowly pouring the wine into a decanter. But, if the pieces are too small, you can pour the wine into the decanter through an extra filter to avoid getting any of them in your glass.

Types of Decanters

Some wines take longer than others to oxygenate. But choosing the right shaped decanter can speed the process up. 

Full-bodied red wines benefit from a decanter with a wide base. This can include a wine like our Cabernet Franc. Medium-bodied red wines, like our Blaufränkisch, benefit best from medium-sized decanters. Light-bodied wines, Pinot Noir for example, should be served in a small to medium-sized decanter that has been chilled.

Now, if you choose to decant a white or rosé wine, experts recommend you use a small, chilled decanter.

All in all, you should choose a decanter you love, that is easy to fill, pour, and clean. Just because it looks beautiful doesn’t mean it is the easiest to use!

How to Use a Decanter

You may think that you should be able to pour the wine into a decanter and let it sit for a few hours, right? Experts recommend you pour the wine so that it hits the sides of the glass. This makes it so more oxygen is exposed to the surface of the wine. 

The length of time for decanting wine depends on the wine itself. The process can take anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours but the average is about 40 minutes. Wine Folly recommends adding one hour of decanting time for every 10 years on the bottle of wine. So if you’re enjoying a library bottle of our 2014 Cabernet Franc, we recommend an hour of decanting. 

Which Wines Should You Decant?

Should you be decanting all of your wine before you drink it? When deciding, keep these tips in mind:

Red Wine

Red wine has the most sediment and has higher tannin levels than other wine styles. It is highly recommended you decant red wine for this very reason. But, the length of time it should be decanted depends on a couple of things: the wine style and the vintage. Red wines like Pinot Noir and Merlot are approachable without decanting but if you’d like to decant them, it should only be for a few minutes. After a longer decanting period, young red wines with high tannin levels will soften and open up their aroma bouquet. Wines in this category include Cabernet Franc, Blaufränkisch and Pinot Noir. Our Rosso would also benefit from a longer decanting period due to its blend of Syrah and Merlot.

White and Rosé Wines

While these styles of wine rarely need decanting, you can still decant them to help open up the flavors a little bit more. If you choose to decant these styles, it should be for no more than 30 minutes before serving. However, there are instances in which your whites and rosés would benefit greatly from decanting. Those include:

• Some aged wine vintages like white Burgundy display enhanced aromas during the wine tasting after a shot decanting period, and
• White wine that is giving off a highly acidic and awkward taste. This wine will soften after a short breathing period.

Sparkling Wine

Experts have found that sparkling wine is the only style of wine that doesn’t directly benefit from decanting. In recent years it has become trendy to decant Champagne – especially those of an older vintage. But, why is this?

After aging, Champagne tends to develop a more complex and layered aroma profile. When using a decanter, these flavors can open up fully and the consumer gets a more enjoyable bubbly. If you’re not a fan of the harsh bubbles, decanting a sparkling wine for about 15 minutes helps tone down the effervescence.

Old Wine vs. Young Wine

When it comes to older wine, you only need to decant it for a short period of time – about 15 to 30 minutes. This is because aged wine is more fragile and has a more refined structure and softer tannins. There is a chance your older bottle of wine may not need time in the decanter. Just pour a bit into your glass and see if you like how it tastes.

For young vintages, there needs to be a greater decanting time to reveal their full flavor profile due to their more robust and tannic nature. You can decant a younger wine for at least an hour before serving and some young red wines would benefit from up to three hours of decanting.

The art of decanting wine is more than just a tradition. It’s a transformative experience that enhances both the taste and appreciation of a fine bottle of wine. By allowing the wine to breathe, you unleash its full potential, unlocking layers of aroma and flavor that may have otherwise remained hidden. Whether you’re indulging in an aged vintage or a young, vibrant blend, the simple act of decanting can elevate the entire drinking experience, making each sip a journey of discovery.