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Last Updated on May 4, 2018
You cannot think about uncorking a fine wine without thinking about its rich flavored taste. You imagine pouring it into your glass and taking a sip to unveil the taste. That’s when the wine decanter comes in – to ensure that this moment takes place as you plan it. The best wine decanters are the ones which help you oxygenate the exact amount of wine you need for serving.
Wine decanting is a traditional practice that enhances wine’s flavor by allowing it to absorb controlled amounts of oxygen before serving. Simply put, you transfer wine from its bottle into a crystal or glass vessel and let it sit for 45 minutes up to three hours. Wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs can have hourly debates over the process of decanting. Since wine is also a drink that women mostly enjoy, let’s have a look into the wine decanting process and analyze its pros and cons!
How Wine Decanting Works
You pour wine from the bottle into the uniquely-shaped crystal or glass container. The container allows air to meet the wine and let oxygen particle mix with it. The result is a richer-taste wine. However, the process works on two ends:
- Oxygen particles enhance the wine’s taste by softening tannins from the wine when you pour the wine into the decanter. A young wine will develop its flavor quicker. You can find out which wines are young or old from the product label. This is not a choice criterion as decanters fit to all types of wines. There are many wine decanters available on the market and you can read specialized reviews on websites such as Today Top Reviews, so that you can choose the best option for you.
- By mixing wine with oxygen, sediments separate and lay on the bottom of the decanter. Sediments usually give the wine a bitter and astringent taste which can be disturbing.
There’s a difference between decanting wine and pulling the cork out of the bottle. The wine bottle is usually designed to keep sediments apart from the wine when pouring. However, it’s small enough not to allow enough air to get inside the bottle.
How Long Does Decanting Take?
The decanting time depends on the wine. If you decant wine longer than you should, flavors may alter. Restaurant owners and experts take decanting to a whole new level, using additional tools and materials. However, you can only use the bottle of wine and the decanter for similar effects.
For old high-tannin red wines you need around two hours of decanting, while young light red ones require 30 minutes – one hour. Cheap table wine requires up to four hours – however, you should taste the drink meanwhile.
Some experts claim that white wines and champagne don’t need decanting. Others provide with time references:
- White light wine: 5 – 30 minutes.
- White rich wine: One hour.
- Champagne: Keep decanting under one hour.
You can easily determine how to decant wine by pouring a glass and tasting it once every quarter an hour. When the taste feels vibrant and fully enjoyable, it’s fully decanted. That’s the time you should leave it the container.
PROs of Using the Best Wine Decanters
- Decanting cheap wines makes them taste much better. Young inexpensive drinks need around 20 minutes to decant. You get to enjoy a rich-taste drink for a small budget.
- Very old wines need decanting to avoid that bitter taste due to sediments. Old wines have a larger quantity of sediments which remain stuck in the liquid and alter its taste. You unleash the real taste of an old wine, instead of being stuck in the bitterness of its sediments.
- Decanters usually have a vintage bohemian design. They look spectacular on your table and can become the focus of attention when you organize or host events. They can be conservative and round or have one of the modern and impressive shapes.
- Wine is one of the low-carb drinks which you can enjoy even if you’re on a diet. Since you will drink in small quantities, the wine’s taste needs to be fully enjoyable. On the other hand, if you plant to host a wine party, you can find decanters that suit larger quantities.
- Do you remember swirling the wine into their glass? Decanting is the complete process of oxygenating wine. You might have not noticed a taste change. However, sediments of old wines usually stick to the glass also and this process is key to separating them from the wine.
CONs of Using the Best Wine Decanters
- Decanting takes time. You cannot host a spontaneous party and decant your wine instantly. However, the process lasts enough to help you enjoy a flavored wine while allowing you to prepare. You can minimize the time you wait for the wine to decant by setting reminders and pouring it into the container as soon as you get home.
- Quality decanters may take some of your budget. Meanwhile, they have an extended durability. If you maintain the decanters properly, you can even enjoy them for decades.
- Speaking of maintenance, you will need to wash the decanters. The process might seem difficult, but you can ease it by using a long brush for dishes.
- Why decant wine when you can just aerate it? Aeration is a similar process to decanting. However, experts claim that you need to decant wines at least for sediment-removal purposes.
- Storing the decanter might come difficult since you need to keep it away from any accident or falling risks. You should also find a place for the decanter while the process of oxidation takes place. You can store it anywhere in your kitchen together with table utensils or you can keep it somewhere visible and enjoy its design.
Using the best wine decanters is a long-term decision with continuous effects. Even if you enjoy a glass of wine occasionally, you will still have the means to enrich its taste and remove sediments. Wine decanting is now a growing trend which broke the exclusive expert use boundary.
You can impress your guests for dinner, have a sip of a rare wine or even enjoy a glass yourself. Since they come in different sizes and shapes, you can also decide the decanter’s purpose and why you choose one of those beautifully-designed products!
Images Source: Depositphotos.com.
