Breathing Room: Demystifying Decanters

by Jill Stacey

What is a decanter used for?

A decanter is used to allow the wine to "breathe". Wine is a living breathing changing element. As it is bottled for many years it changes very slowly because no new oxygen is able to get to the wine to allow it to change. When you decant the wine more oxygen is able to get to the surface of the wine and begin to change the tastes.

How long to let a wine "breathe" is a controversial topic, since there are those who claim it is of no benefit. Most wine lovers, however, believe that it is helpful to aerate the majority of young wines. Basically, aeration artificially speeds up the maturation process. It should only be used if you suspect a wine is not yet at its peak of drink ability (never on a very old bottle). Again this is where it is fun to experiment.

If you don’t have a decanter yet just try this: Pour a sample of the wine and taste it, then pour a glass and let it sit for 20 minutes, you may swirl in the glass in order to increase the oxygen touching the wine. Taste again after 20 minutes and see if you can tell a difference. Sometimes one person can like it just out of the bottle and someone else can prefer the decanted version. Experimentation! – It’s a learning process.

Cheers!

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