Decanting Red Wine

While some sceptics claim that the process of decanting wine is carried out merely for appearance’s sake, others swear by the process – particularly for well-aged red wines. While the process of decanting red wine undeniably adds a certain flourish to the drinking proceedings, there is some scientific basis to the act too. But if your aim is to improve the taste and overall drinking experience, you’ll need to know a thing or two about what you’re doing – decanting wine isn’t as simple as transferring the wine from a bottle to a pretty container!

First of all, it helps to understand why experts believe that many red wines should be decanted. The principle reason given applies to older wines that have been kept for some years in the wine cellar. Such bottles are likely to have developed a sediment, which both tastes and looks unappealing. Effective decanting of the wine will ensure that this sediment remains in the bottle, rather than tainting the drinking experience.


Whether young wines will really benefit from decanting is more debatable, but supporters of the practice hold that this is more effective than merely opening your bottle of wine a few hours before drinking to allow it to ‘breathe’. Some red wines of between two and ten years, for example, can taste harsh and astringent if drunk directly after opening the bottle, while exposing the contents to oxygen will allow flavours to develop and harsh-tasting substances to evaporate. Although this by no means applies to all red wines, decanting the bottle will surely do no harm and, if decanted into elegant crystal-ware, will add a touch of class to the pouring proceedings even if your chosen wine isn’t the world’s best.

When it comes to decanting older red wines, things are a little more complex than with younger bottles. It takes a little know-how to get the most out of the process, so don’t try this straight away with your best, most valuable bottles – practise on something a little more replaceable first. Older reds will have received enough oxygenation during the ageing process to have reduced out harsh tannins and developed robust notes and aromas, but are also likely to have developed some sediment as the years have passed. Although not harmful to drink, this sediment can have an unpleasant, silty taste in the mouth and can easily spoil the appearance of your glass of red wine.

Firstly, make sure the bottle is left to stand upright for at least a couple of hours before decanting – this will allow any sediment to collect at the bottom of the bottle. Secondly, (and here’s your chance to really show off and act the big wine expert), hold a candle just below the neck of the wine bottle as you hold it. The idea is that as you pour the wine ever so slowly into the decanter, the candle will spotlight any sediment should it begin to creep its way into the neck of the bottle. As a rule, this won’t usually happen until the bottle of red wine is down to its last third, but do be diligent – pour very slowly, keeping the bottle of wine perpendicular to the lit candle and keep a close eye out for any sneaky sediment. The ritual of decanting a fine, cellared wine in this way can be most satisfying and, once you’ve got the hang of the correct method, decanting your red wine can become a real talking point at dinner parties.

Whatever vintage your vino is, decanting is about presentation as well as improving the taste. Forget chipped, yellowed glassware, if you want your decanted wine to make an impact it’s best to use clear cut glass or, when budget allows, crystal. While younger wines should be left for some hours or even days after decanting, older red wines should be enjoyed immediately after pouring into the decanter. Free of their sediment, aged red wines will be at their best right after opening. The decanting process is thought to be more beneficial to red wines than their white counterparts for several reasons. Principally, because red wines have much higher tannin levels than whites and are generally aged for longer. Therefore, whites have less harshness in young wines and less sediment in older bottles, reducing the need to decant for anything other than aesthetic purposes.

While some red wine enthusiasts maintain that simply opening a bottle an hour or so is sufficient for all but the oldest of bottles, the decanting ritual is one so steeped in tradition that there seems little danger of it going out of fashion.

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