Decanting
Written By: Brian Freedman on Wed, Mar 18th 2009
Ah, decanting, that most intimidating and misunderstood aspect of the wine-service ritual. When should you use a decanter? What kind of wine benefits from a stint in it? And how much should you spend on one?
The vast majority of wines will benefit from a good decanting. The purpose of doing so, in fact, is to aerate the wine: It's been cooped up in a bottle for so long, it could use a godd deep, breath of fresh air, which will allow it to open up and develop all the complexity it's capable of. Which means that younger wines as well as older ones can reap the rewards of being decanted.
Most people, of course, associate decanters with expensive wines or highfalutin dinner parties, often imaginatively attended by men in ruffled collars and women in hoop skirts. But at ClassicWines.com, we recommend decanting even an inexpensive wine: The air will often smooth out the rough edges and make it seem like a more unified whole than it otherwise would have. This applies to whites as well as reds.
And as for how much to spend on a decanter, that all depends on what purpose you want it to serve: A plain $20 one is a perfectly acceptable option for utilitairan purposes, whereas a more expensive, hand-made, ornate one not only serves its intended role, but also acts like a piece of art for the dinner table. In wine as in life, the way you express yourself is ultimately a personal decision.
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