I regularly receive 1 question over and over again in regards to wine: “What is the purpose of decanting?” It is actually great when people ask me this question, because I can tell that they have become interested in wine enough to investigate this themselves. Hopefully, the following information will help you understand the world of wine a little more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

           Decanting was originally done out of necessity. Many wines were produced in a raw fashion, and there was not a lot of filtering that took place before the wine went from barrel to bottle. When the bottle was opened, it was now necessary to remove this sediment in some way so as to only leave the wine in the glass to enjoy. By decanting, the sediment would be more easily left in the bottom and/or filtered out so that only wine ended up in the glass. There should be no need to worry about sediment in wine unless it is more than 10 years old, or was made by a winemaker that does not use filtering in their winemaking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

           Nowadays, decanting has become a way to more fully appreciate a bottle of wine. The winemaking industry has made so many great advancements over the last 3 decades, that there is no need to worry about sediment remaining in the bottle. Many great instruments can filter wine to leave no residue behind. By decanting a bottle of wine, the liquid is exposed to greater contact with air that will allow the true aromas of the fruit to unlock. It will also begin to soften the tannins in the wine that can sometimes make for a bitter first sip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           To see how decanting can make a difference on the aroma and taste of a wine, try this experiment:

 

 Pick a bottle and open it. Pour a glass or two if you have a companion, and then decant the rest of the bottle. Then, go ahead and enjoy your glass of wine and take notes on the “nose” and flavor of the wine.

 

About 20-30 minutes later, pour a couple more glasses from the decanter and assess the “nose” and flavor again. Without a doubt you will be able to detect a considerable difference in it. This was all due to the decanting! Any wine should be given some time to open. Even if poured by the glass, you can “decant” that glass by swirling it around and getting some air in it.

 

           Winestock has a great selection of decanters for your wine. Please click on any of the above pictures that will link you to the site to find a decanter for yourself.

 

Cheers,

 

HWL