How to decant wine: beginners guide 

Drinking wine can be not just a simple hobby, but a refined art, that comes with its set of rules. In fact, you have to know the wine that you are drinking it, in order to manage it properly and appreciate its characteristics. One of the most important rules, for example, about wines is decanting, a simple action that only the most refined winery connoisseurs know, but it changes the wine tastes and it helps you to fully enjoy its aftertaste and multifaceted notes.

What is a wine decanter?

Therefore, a wine decanter is an essential tool to possess, in order to be a professional wine lover. A wine decanter, in particular, is a vessel or recipient (usually made of glass) that is used to serve wine. The name itself can give it away: in fact, ‘decanting wine’ means pouring the liquid out of its original recipient. 

This process can be done in many different settings: if you are at home with some friends, enjoying a classic Amarone, a decanter would be the most efficient way to pour the drink in the glasses, while it can also be used for aesthetics purposes in other settings, such as in restaurants. However, decanting is not strictly used as a means to drink some Italian wines in a fancy way, but it serves a very specific purpose, that can change the wine essence and amplify its tastiness. 

How to decant wine

Decanting a wine could sound a difficult process to obtain, but it is actually pretty simple to achieve, in order to treat your wine better. The first part of the process is quite simple, even though it happens even before the moment you will open your bottle. In fact, your wine bottle should be put straight up at least 24 hours before opening it. In this way, the sediments inside the wine can go to the bottom of the bottle and not contaminate the liquid. 

After opening it, you can start the decanting process, pouring slowly the wine from the bottle to the decanter. However, you must be careful to look at the wine that is poured, noticing especially the color: if the wine is too dark, which means it could be older, there are more chances that it might have more residues, which should not reach the decanter. Finally, you should let the wine ‘breathe’ in the decanter, according to its characteristics.

How to let wine breathe without a decanter

If you want to show to all of your friends and family how to drink red wine or white wine appropriately, but you don’t have a wine decanter, you should not worry. In fact, there are many different tools that you can use, in order to decanter your wine and let it breathe for a while. For example, you can use a pitcher or a carafe, in order to let your wine, aerate more and leave the tannins in open air. You can also use other tools, such as a clean vase, a bowl or some pitcher glasses. In fact, it is not important the recipient per se, but the process that the decanter initiate, so that the wine’s taste can be better.

Why decant wine

Decanting wines is a very important process for wine tasting, not only crafted for aesthetical purposes, but also essential for the taste. In fact, there are mainly two reasons as to why you should decanter your wine:

• Aeration – some wines, after being closed and stored for a while, may be a little stiff and change their taste. In order to avoid this phenomenon, the wine should be able to breathe more, for a certain amount of time, according to its characteristics, so that it can absorb the oxygen and taste better
• Residues – after a while, some residues may float around in the liquid, so the decanting process helps get rid of those residues and makes the liquid much cleaner.

The only step left, after the decanting process, is to know and pay attention to how long does red wine last once opened or other kinds of wines, and you will be able to enjoy your drinks and their aftertaste notes.