Red wine is enjoyed by many people all over the world; you can buy bottles that range from under £10 to thousands of pounds, depending on the grapes they use, the year they were produced and the location that created them. Decanting is the process of pouring your red wine into another container before you pour it into your glass to drink. There are several reasons why you should decant your red wine. In this article, we take you through these reasons and instructions on how to decant a bottle of wine.
Remove the sediment
Wine has sediment or bits that form at the bottom of the bottle; these aren’t nice to drink and won’t be enjoyable if you find them whilst drinking a glass of wine. Decanting a bottle of wine removes these sediments from the wine. The wine needs to be poured carefully into the decanter so the sediment remains at the bottom of the wine bottle and can be discarded, so it doesn’t enter the wine glasses. If some of the sediment does make its way into the decanter, it will sink and sit at the bottom. The person pouring the wine from the decanter into the glasses should do so carefully so that any remaining sediment is left behind. Alternatively some decanters have filters to stop the sediment from getting into the glasses.
Removing bits of cork
Occasionally when a bottle of wine is opened, it will leave behind the residue of the cork. This can be frustrating and ruin the enjoyment of drinking wine. One way to remove the cork is to pour it into a decanter through a strainer to catch bits of the cork that have got into the wine. This can rescue the wine and prevent people from finding cork in their glass. To prevent the cork from getting into the wine, follow the instructions linked at the bottom of the article.
Aeration
Aeration is the process where the wine comes into contact with the oxygen in the air, also called letting the wine breathe. This process can improve the taste of wine in several ways. Firstly any harsh gases that have developed will be softened and mixed with the air. Secondly, all of the aromas in the bottle will have the chance to mix and blossom from the wine rather than being trapped in the airtight bottle. This process is really important for wines, especially vintage wines that have spent several years in the bottle, e.g. a vintage bottle of burgundy en primeur. However, even young wines can benefit from this process as aeration removes the harsh tannins that build up in young wines.
The decanting process
The decanting process is pretty simple and only requires a few steps; however, it can be quite time-consuming if you don’t store your wine upright. Firstly you need to ensure that the bottle of wine has been stored upright for at least 24 hours; this will ensure that the sediment settles at the bottom of the bottle. Around two to four hours before you want to drink the bottle of wine, you should open it and pour it into the decanter. Make sure the decanter is clean, and you pour slowly and carefully. Watch the wine go from the bottle into the decanter to ensure you don’t pour in any sediment. If you see sediment, you should stop pouring immediately. Some wine decanters have filters that stop the sediment as you’re pouring, whereas, in others, you’ll need to carefully watch the wine as you pour. Now it's just a case of leaving the wine in a safe place to get up to room temperature. You can leave a bottle of wine in a decanter and still enjoy it up to 18 hours later. Some decanters also have airtight seals, which means you can leave them in even longer, up to a few days. If you don’t have two hours before you want to enjoy your wine, you can leave it in the decanter for less time. Even fifteen to thirty minutes can make a big difference to the overall taste and quality of the wine.
Decanting your red wine will enhance the flavour and enjoyment of the wine. Many decanters also look great on the table and make it easier for you to pour the wine into the glasses. Instructions for opening a bottle of wine.