How to decant red wine

Decanting is one of those elements of wine service that remains mysterious and intimidating to many drinkers: Which wines need it? When should you do it?

And how? Is it really even necessary or just a bit of wine pomp and circumstance?

Why Should a Wine Be Decanted? Get the (Sed)iment Out

Fundamentally, decanting serves two purposes: to separate an aged wine from any sediment that may have formed and to aerate a young, still-closed wine in the hope that its aromas and flavors will be more vibrant upon serving.

Older red wines and Vintage Ports naturally produce sediment as they age (white wines rarely do); the color pigments and tannins bond together and fall out of solution.

How to decant wine

Stirring up the sediment when pouring will cloud a wine’s appearance and can impart bitter flavors and a gritty texture. It’s not harmful, but definitely less enjoyable.

Decanting is simply the process of separating this sediment from the clear wine.

It’s fairly safe to assume that a red will have accumulated sediment after five to 10 years in the bottle, even if this can’t be verified visu

how long do you decant red wine for

how long should you let wine decant for