How to Decant Wine
Just like giving your glass a good swirl to awakens a red wine’s aromas, decanting an entire bottle before serving will elevate it even further. Of course, decanting wine is partly about separating out sediment, but the bit we get excited about is seeing a wine “open up” with air contact. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, discover how to decant below.
Why Do You Need to Decant Wine?
After five plus years in the bottle, it’s safe to assume that a red wine or port will have some sediment in the bottle. Naturally made (hand-crafted / boutique) wine can even have sediment in the bottle from day one!
Too much sediment is a problem sign, but it’s actually a common misconception that sediment is generally a bad thing. If you find sediment in your wine, then chances are it’s there on purpose and is therefore safe to swallow. But it’s good practice to decant the wine and take the sediment out of the equation for that smooth finish we all love.
Aside from removing the sediment, decanting revitalises and invigorates wine. If you think a wine is inexpressive when you first taste it, it’s worth decanting to see if it makes any difference. A wine doesn’t need to be “old” or have sediment to benefit from an oxygen boost, so it can’t hurt to try.
How and When to Decant Wine
If you have a wine you’d like to decant, a jug will do the job if you don’t own a proper decanter. Wine decanters come in various sizes and styles, but they all serve the same purpose – to allow a wine to fully express itself. The same effect can be achieved with a large jug.
Timing is key if you want to get the most out of your decanted wine. Follow the steps below for the best results when preparing and serving wine in this way.
Step 1: The Day Before
The day before you’re planning on serving your big, bold red, stand the bottle upright. This allows the sediment time to sink to the bottom of the bottle, which is especially essential if you’ve been storing the bottle sideways for a period of time.
Step 2: Time To Decant
About half an hour before you want to serve, pour the wine into the decanter steadily until you get to about half way through the bottle. Having a light source behind the bottle will help you see any sediment more clearly and keep an eye on roughly how much wine is left.
Step 3: Slow It Down
When the bottle is only half full, pour even slower than before. This is just to make sure none of the sediment accidentally rushes out into the decanter and ruins all your careful work! Stop pouring as soon as you see sediment reach the neck of the bottle.
Step 4: Rest It
Now it’s time to let the wine sit in the decanter for half an hour for those lovely aromas and flavours to intensify from a nice healthy oxygen boost.
Step 5: Time To Serve
Once your 30 minutes are up, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labour and get serving. Grab your wine glass and pour slowly, just in case some sneaky sediment has made its way into the decanter without you noticing. It may be that you need to leave a tiny puddle at the bottom of the decanter to be discarded.
Step 6: Time To Taste
Take a moment to appreciate the nose before diving in and taking a sip. You should notice that the aromas are far more pronounced than they were when you first opened the bottle, and that your efforts have made your lovely wine even more enjoyable.
To really make the most of it, check out our handy guide on How to Taste Wine like a pro.
Did You Know?
- Naturally made wine can have sediment in the bottle from day one
- Not all aged Ports require decanting – generally Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) and Vintage Ports must be decanted before drinking, whereas aged Tawny Ports do not (even the ones that are as much as 40 years old!)
- For red wine – if it’s French and at least 6 years old, there’s a good chance it’ll need decanting
