How To Decant Wine

Lily Ploegmakers 10.March.2023 0 comments

We have all seen a wine decanter. But, why do we decant wines? And, how long do we decant wines? In this blog, I´ll try to answer some of the questions that you may have regarding the decantation of wine.

I´ll talk about the reasons to decant wine, when to decant wine, how to decant wine and how long to decant wine, so that next time you are opening a bottle of wine, you will know the best way to fully enjoy it.

Reasons to Decant Wine

The decanting of wine has several purposes. The first and best known is to separate the wine from the sediments created inside the bottle during reductive ageing. Reductive ageing is the process when the wine ages inside the bottle. This ageing takes place without oxygen.

These deposits do not impact the taste of the wine, but seeing them can be unpleasant and we can notice these sediments in the mouth. So, by decanting, we trespass the wine from its bottle without the sediments to the decanter.

Another advantage of decanting is that, by putting the wine in contact with the air, it oxygenates it and helps it to open up. By doing so, the wine can express its full aromatic range more quickly and eliminate unpleasant aromas from the bottling process.

The wines that generally benefit from decanting are Crianza red wines, and Reserva and Gran Reserva red wines. Normally, we don´t need to decant White wines as they rarely have sediments.

When to Decant Wine

In France, it is common to decant both red and white wines. However, in Spain, they usually only decant red wines aged in oak barrels, Reserva wine and gran reserva red wines.

White wines are not usually decanted so often, as they rarely have sediment, although there are some whites that need to be decanted to oxygenate them and make them express their aromas better.

Not all wines need to be decanted. As I mentioned before, decanting is necessary to remove the sediments, aerate the wine and release the wine´s aromas. Here are some guidelines to know if we need to decant a wine:

Age: Old wines, let´s say, 10 years older, need to be decanted in order to remove the juice from the sediment. The decanting time for older wines can be around 30 minutes, given that too much oxygen can have a negative impact on the wine. Remember, that we decant old wines to remove the sediment, but we don´t want too much oxygen

Grape Variety: Full-bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Bordeaux blend benefit from decanting as the process can help soften tannins and open up aromas and flavours. However, medium-bodied wine like Pinot Noir or a light-bodied wine like a Beaujolais, don´t require a long decanting time.

Vintage of the wine: Some vintages may require longer decanting times than others, depending on how the wine has aged.

How to Decant Wine

To decant wine like a pro you will need the following material:

A tray to carry the wine from the cellar to the table.
A decanter
A liteaux (a white tea towel)
A wine glass and glasses for the guests.

A bottle of wine

Material Used to Decant wine

Now that you have all the materials to decant wine like a pro, let´s have a look at the standard decantation procedure:

1.We place the tray on the serving table with all its elements in order:

2. We present the bottle inside the basket to the host very carefully so as not to move the wine from the bottle.

3.Place the basket on the right side of the tray with the front of the basket on a plate.

4.Uncork the bottle with the corkscrew

5.We clean the neck of the bottle with the liteaux

6.We serve a little bit of wine in the wine glass, in order to clean the decanter, given that water drops can remain in the decanter. Once cleaned, the wine is returned to the wine glass.

7.With the right hand, we hold the bottle of wine and with the left hand, we hold the decanter. We bring the two openings closer, and we carefully transfer the wine from one to the other. As soon as we see the first sediments, we put the bottle aside and the decanting process is finished.

How Long to Decant Wine

Depending on the type of wine, the decanting time can vary. Factors like the grape variety and vintage of the wine are important when deciding how long to decant wine. For example, younger vintages of red wine may need a longer decanting time than older vintages.

For older wines, decanting is only necessary to remove the sediments, so we don´t need to decant the wine for a long period of time, as too much oxygen will get into the wine and it may lose aromas. As a rule of thumb, for older wines, 30 minutes of decanting should be sufficient.

For full-bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Malbec, the decanting time can vary from 30 minutes up to 2 hours, depending on the vintage and style of the wine. Decanting is necessary for these types of wines, as it will help to aerate the wine, so the full range of aromas can be released.

Medium-bodied red wines, like Pinot Noir, Merlot and Sangiovese need less decanting time than full-bodied wines, from 15 to 30 minutes.

Light-bodied wines like Beaujolais, don´t usually require decanting, as they are already delicate and light.

White wines, as we mentioned before, are not normally decanted. However, if you decide to decant the white wine, a few minutes should be enough.

It's important to taste the wine periodically during the decanting process to determine when it has reached the desired level of aeration.

I hope you enjoyed this article and you learned a little bit more about why to decant wines, how to decant wine and for how long to decant wines. If you want to discover a great selection of wines, don´t forget to visit our online store and subscribe to our newsletter.

See you later, wine lovers,

Victoria