🍷 Decanting
Also known as: decanting wine, wine decanting, decantation
Decanting is pouring wine slowly from its bottle into a decanter, to leave old-wine sediment behind and give young wine some air.
Decanting (you will also see decantation) is pouring wine slowly out of its bottle into a decanter, a glass vessel for serving. People do it for one of two reasons. Old wines throw a sediment, and decanting leaves it behind in the bottle. Young wines are often stiff when first opened, and a little air helps them open up.
The sediment side is simple. A US patent for a decanting appliance notes that older, heavy-bodied wines build up sediment as they age, and that it turns the taste bitter and astringent if it reaches the glass. Its advice is a slow, steady pour, because turbulence stirs the sediment and clouds the wine. According to the Bordeaux wine council (CIVB), sommeliers used to hold a candle behind the bottle so they could see when the sediment was about to arrive.
Air is the second job. CIVB says decanting aerates young wines, and the same patent says younger wines often come to life once they meet oxygen. Nor is it only for reds. CIVB points out that structured whites, such as those from Graves and Pessac-Léognan, can go into a carafe as well.
So the decanter is the vessel, decanting is what you do with it, and sediment is what you are trying to leave in the bottle. Wine is for adults only.
Facts
| Main use | Leave the sediment of old wine behind and aerate young wine 1 |
|---|---|
| Raw material | Bottle, decanter, and a candle or lamp to watch the sediment 1 |
| Duration | Pour slowly and steadily so sediment is not stirred up 2 |
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Decanting ← then ← 🍷 Decanter ← drunk from ← 🍷 Wine
Links
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Frequently asked questions
What does a decanter actually do?
It holds the wine you pour out of the bottle, so sediment stays behind and the wine gets some air.
Why did sommeliers use a candle?
To see through the bottle neck and notice the moment sediment started to move toward the pour, so they could stop.
Is it true that only red wine gets decanted?
No. The Bordeaux wine council says structured whites, such as Graves and Pessac-Léognan, can be carafed too.
Does a slow pour really matter?
Yes. A patent on decanting says a slow, steady flow avoids the turbulence that stirs sediment into the wine.
Will decanting help a young wine?
It can. CIVB says decanting aerates young wines, and one patent says they often come to life with oxygen.
Sources
- Bordeaux wines (CIVB). Comment bien servir le vin en 10 lecons
- USPTO. US 7,708,241 B2, Wine decanting appliance and method for decanting