To Decant Or Not To Decant Your Wine
Wine decanting has been a part of wines history for centuries. Though not everyone decants his or her wine, it does give your young or aged wine a smoother taste. Many people don’t decant wine because the purpose may not be very clear. Decanting wine has two effects on a bottle. We want to get the extra sediment that over time settles to bottom separated from the wine to prevent sipping it up at the end of our glass. It is not a pleasant experience if you have even had it. Secondly, decaneters are used to allow the wine to breathe and let it mix with the oxygen in the air. Not all wines are better decanted, however, it does offer a smoother taste to a wine that is more acidic whether it is white or red.
New York Time’s Wine Critic Eric Asimov shares his opinion on decanting wine:
“I like to decant young reds that might be tannic or tight, like those made from nebbiolo or cabernet sauvignon. Even young red Burgundies can benefit from decanting, though Burgundians might roll their eyes.”
To learn more about decanting wine read Asimov’s Middle Ground in Decanting.