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Between reaching for the bottle opener and filling the glass with a smooth pour, there is a crucial step that’s easy to forget if you’re eager to get a jumpstart on wine night. Allowing time for your wine to breathe in a decanter is a way to dramatically improve its flavor. Your wine will taste fuller and more like the winemaker intended. And if you have people over, your guests will be impressed not only by your foresight, but by the elegant piece that made such flavor possible.
How Does a Wine Decanter Work?
A wine decanter works by increasing the amount of oxygen exposed to the wine. Aeration is crucial for red wines that are high in tannins, which are responsible for a wine’s bitter taste and the dry sensation experienced in your mouth. When exposed to oxygen, tannins are able to soften, allowing for a more pleasurable flavor and aroma.
While red wines have more tannins than white wines, the length of time your red wine needs to decant may vary depending on the wine’s body, age, and quality. Full-bodied red wines require the most time set aside for this process, ranging anywhere from one to two hours. If your decanter has a wide base, more oxygen will reach the wine at once, which speeds up the process.
Medium-bodied reds require roughly forty minutes, while cheap wines need the least amount of time: only twenty minutes. On the other hand, old red wines will likely need two hours to aerate, regardless of style.
No matter where your preferences fall as a red wine connoisseur, you’ll be able to experience your favorite wine in a new, enhanced way by incorporating this simple tool.
