My wife and I had sat down to dinner and were unimpressed by my wine choice. Ouch!
A telephone call interrupted our meal. When we returned to the table and our glasses, we were amazed by the wine’s transformation.
A Nebbiolo, which at first was so-so, was now full of berry flavors and aromas and had a silky texture as I hoped.
What could have possibly happened during the half-hour that the wine sat in the glass?
The answer is simple: the wine was allowed to “breathe;” exposed to air for that half-hour, it was able to release its flavors and aromas.
The formal method for bringing about this transformation is to decant the wine, transferring it from its original bottle into a decanter before serving.
The process is not without controversy. Some winemakers do not believe in decanting their wines. In fact, Bordeaux Oenologist Professor and author Emile Peynaud believes decanting wine for the purpose of allowing a wine to breathe ‘’offers no benefit and could actually be harmful to the wine.’’
Decanting wine works on the principle of ‘’Brownian Motion’’ or ‘’Brownian Movement,’’ which is based on the idea that ‘’the random movement of particles suspended in a fluid (wine in this case), affects the texture and aromatics present in the fluid.
Using simple laws of physics, it is the action of pouring the wine from the bottle into a decanter or wine glass that causes most of the effects to take place. It allows oxygen to mix with the wine that begins the chemical process.
Exposure to air starts a reaction in the wine that runs on a schedule determined in part by the chemicals in the wine.
The chemical changes can go faster or slower, depending on how much surface air the wine is exposed to from the size and shape of the decanter or glass.
The temperature of the wine can speed or slow the decanting wine process as well. More oxygen enters wine when it is cool than when it’s warm.
Very little happens just by pulling the cork and letting the bottle sit. Leaving the wine in the bottle begins the process, but at a much slower rate.
Chances are, by the time the wine at the bottom of the bottle has completed this process, the wine in the neck may start to oxidize. This is not recommended as a way to decant wine.
Some people decant every wine for hours, others decant to remove sediment.
Sediment is a natural part of aging wine. It can look like fine grains of sand, or unsightly dark matter and is created by the natural chemical changes that occur over time.
It is not harmful, or pretty to look at and it leaves a bitter taste. So, it’s best to either remove it by decanting or make sure very little is poured into your glass.
If you have the time, leave the wine bottle upright for a few days before serving, and then pour slowly.
To make this even more interesting, there is something called double decanting! The wine is poured from the original bottle, into a decanter. The bottle is then rinsed with clean water removing all traces of sediment, then poured back into the bottle.
This double decanting adds more air to the wine because the wine was exposed to oxygen twice, on the way out of the bottle and on the way back in. This is the method I use at my wine tastings.
Still, others believe violently shaking, known as hyper decanting, is helpful.
I disagree. I think it adds far too much air at one time and disturbs the sediment.
Gently pouring the wine back and forth from glass to glass several times can help the wine open is a better idea.
If you just want to aerate one glass and save the bottle for later, use a latte milk foamer for a few seconds. I’ve tried it, and it works.
The length of decanting time varies, depending on the wine. For most young, tannic wines, two to three hours is adequate. Extreme decanting of six to 12 hours will make the wine softer, but extended decanting time can kill the aroma of a wine.
You can always let a wine evolve slowly in your glass or decanter, checking on it often.
I shared a bottle of Sagrantino with Barry and Mary. It was almost impossible to drink even four hours later. It was the next day before it finally opened up. That was rare and not a good idea.
Fortified wines are an exception to the long decanting rule. Port, Madeira and other fortified wines often benefit from long decanting periods of 12 hours or more, depending on the wine and vintage.
Should you decant wines sealed with screwcaps?
Yes, they can hold a lot of gas on top of the wine to act as a preservative which can produce off odors. Decanting will help eliminate those odors and gas.
What wines are helped the most by decanting? Even that simple question is hotly debated. Some decant only reds, others only Cabernet, still others only decant older wines and others don’t decant at all.
Like wine, decanting wine is all about personal taste. Personally, I have a small taste right out of the bottle, then with an aerator, pour another small taste, then drink one I like the best.
To decant or not to decant, that is the question.
There is no right or wrong answer. The choice is yours.
Cheers,
Chris
June 16, 2021 at 10:11PM
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SPLENDOR IN THE GLASS: Decanting wine: When, how and why - Crossville Chronicle
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