To Decant or Not to Decant?

Do you decant your wines?

I believe in decanting any wine that I drink. Though that’s mostly red wines. Despite the many arguments amongst wine professionals and enthusiasts, I would say decanting wine or not comes down to personal preference. Like so many topics in the world of wine, there are no wrong answers.

I met a French winemaker in Oregon who doesn’t decant his wine because he doesn’t mind tasting the wine as it goes through different stages of oxidation.

Let’s talk a little more about decanting…

Why do we decant?

There are 2 main reasons for decanting a wine 1) to allow it to breathe or aerate it, and 2) to separate it from any sediment caused during aging. Decanting is done by carefully pouring the wine into a glass vessel referred to as a decanter. This will usually have a very large base to allow enough room for the wine to breathe effectively. Sidebar – This is why I love my big wine glasses as well because once it’s poured into the glass, the wine will continue to breathe.

what experience has taught me…

In my experience, when a red wine especially is first opened, depending on the variety, it may not smell a bit funky. However, as it sits in the decanter and starts to open up and react naturally with oxygen we experience a change in the smell and in some instances, I’ve even seen the color change a bit.

Likewise, when a bottle is first opened the wine may taste one way and then 30 minutes later, taste different. I’ve experienced wines straight from the bottle that were very astringent, but after the wine had the opportunity to breathe, the wine was much softer and I could enjoy the nuances of the wine.

I usually decant cabs, pinots, syrah, grenache, and malbecs for at least 30 minutes before I try the first glass. Italian varieties like Sangiovese, Brunello, and Amerone, I find I have to decant those for at least an hour.

the many variations of the argument…

Some experts and enthusiasts argue that decanting wines can harm some varieties of wines. Some argue that only older vintage wines need to be decanted. Some people like me, live by the idea of decanting all red wines.

Would I decant a generic mainstream wine made in mass production from the grocery store?? Most likely not. We are talking about your 689s, 19 Crimes, or Meiomi, no… these wines will change with oxidation but in my experience, it won’t be for the better.

all down to preference

At the end of the day, whether you decant the wine or not, one thing is certain and that is, once a bottle of wine is opened and exposed to oxygen it will change over time, period! You can decide if you want to decant it or not. I would love to know your thoughts.