Many wines are ready to be enjoyed right away when you take them home from the shop. Occasionally, though, a wine may require more cellar aging. Big dry reds, in particular, can be tight when they’re young, says Porter’s Steakhouse sommelier Jeff Callahan, co-founder and educator at the Mid-American School of Wine. The younger the wine, the longer it will need to be decanted. To provide maximum aeration, dump the wine by inverting the bottle into the decanter, a process that may be repeated several times before the wine is allowed to rest.
Besides releasing flavors and aroma, a decanter can help remove sediment. Older wines, especially those that are unfiltered, can accumulate a considerable amount of sediment and suffer from excessive oxidation. Slowly pour the wine into the decanter, leaving as much sediment as possible in the bottle; once the sediment’s been rinsed, the wine may be served straight from the decanter to minimize aeration.
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Wine decanters take many shapes and can be quite complex and expensive. The traditional and ubiquitous Bordeaux decanter increases the surface area, allowing the wine to breathe. If you’re thinking of splurging, look no further than Riedel’s Eve decanter ($525); resembling a snake, the show-stopping decanter handles one glass at a time and comes with an instructional DVD and sturdy storage box. The more affordable Menu Wine Breather Carafe, by Norm Architects ($50, available at surlatable.com), is an innovation on the traditional design; a patent-pending attachment connects the wine bottle directly to the decanter, allowing leftover wine to be easily poured back into the bottle. And while you’re picking up a decanter, don’t forget a decanter drying rack and flexible brush for easy cleaning.
