Here's When You Really Should Decant Your Wine

If you're new to the rich world of wines, you'll soon find out (if you haven't already) how important decanting is. This process isn't limited to reds, either. Instead, other types of wine including white can profit from decanting. In fact, any wine that benefits from aging will likely taste better when decanted. However, the length of time you decant depends on the type of wine. Some require longer or more exposure to air, while others rapidly oxidize and need just a quick decant. The process also helps separate out sediments, which can have an unpleasant flavor and mouth feel. Red wines, especially older ones, tend to have the most sediments.

Maximilian Riedel, CEO & President of wine glass company Riedel, chatted with us about how different wines require different levels of decanting. In addition to wine glasses, RIEDEL makes decanters that can double or triple-decant their contents, making them suitable for wines best served by a high level of decanting. 

To best experience the bouquet of your vino, you must understand what decanting does. According to Riedel, "When you decant wine, it shows more expression on the palate for all wines and, in the case of reds, it better integrates and smooths out tannins." This happens because of aeration, which mixes oxygen into wine and reduces the concentration of gases that may have built up in the sealed bottle. It also brings flavors and nuances that may have become suppressed over time to the forefront. Yet some wines are more delicate, meaning over-decanting can make you miss more subtle flavors. Whatever you do, don't hyper-decant your wines.

Ironically, vintage red wines that have more sediment — and are therefore more in need of decanting — can also be the ones most susceptible to over-decanting. "If you have very old wines, you have to choose carefully whether or not to use a decanter since older wines can be more fragile," warns Riedel. Sometimes, pouring wine straight from the bottle into a glass is decantation enough. For this, and also as a general rule, store any bottle you plan on drinking upright for a day to ensure the sediments settle to the bottom. Over-decanting can overwhelm many of the subtle aspects of its bouquet, subduing its complexity. Decanting is a little like aggressive aging, so the rule of thumb is that younger wines can generally hold up to more decanting than older ones.

The best way to get the most out of your wine may be to practice decanting. Trader Joe's wines are cheap but still good enough to train your palate and study how the bouquet evolves at different levels of decanting. If you do end up over-decanting and the wine isn't enjoyable on its own, you can always use it to make the Spanish Kalimotxo — a cocktail that uses Coke and red wine.