🍷 Decanting

Decanting is the slow pouring of wine from the bottle into a special vessel, a decanter. It is done for two reasons. The first is to separate the wine from sediment, which settles at the bottom of the bottle in old red wines. The second is to let the wine contact air so the aroma and taste open up.

The bottle is first stood upright for several hours so the sediment sinks. Then the wine is poured gently in a thin stream, often over a candle or lamp, while watching the neck. As soon as cloudiness appears there, pouring stops. The sediment stays in the bottle. Young wines are given air faster by pouring in a strong stream.

Decanting is tied to the decanter and to wine sediment. Old delicate wines are best poured carefully and served soon, so air does not spoil them. Young, robust reds, on the other hand, usually benefit from long contact with air. Not all wines need it: many whites and sparkling wines are rarely decanted.