How to Use a Wine Decanter
Like wine itself, the use of a decanter has aged over time. Before modern wine-making techniques came about, a typical bottle of wine had a fair amount of sediment lurking at the bottom. If you've heard the phrase "drink life to the lees" (Lord Alfred Tennyson), you will understand that this is a metaphor for living life to the fullest, as most of a bottle of wine must be finished before reaching the lees, or sediment. Poetry aside, knowing how to use a wine decanter is just as important as knowing when to use a wine decanter. Typically it depends on varietal and age. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Respect the elders. An aged red (older than 10 years) will normally have some sediment built up. A decanter is a great way to separate the wine from the sediment. An older red is also more fragile than a younger red and will start to lose its shape more quickly after opened, so be gentle. Tilt your decanter to the side and slowly pour in the wine so that it falls onto the mouth of the decanter. As the bottle starts to empty, keep it from raising too far above parallel to the ground. The trick is make sure the sediment gets caught in the shoulder of the wine bottle. Remember: An older red will fade quickly once opened, so be sure to enjoy with another couple.
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Encourage youth. Younger reds can also benefit from a decanter to allow them to breathe or "open up." In the first three weeks of its life, a red wine is typically cycled in a cask with its grape skins. In this process a wine begins to form a structure by drawing tannin from the grape skin, which gives the wine a bitter taste and a chalky texture. As the wine matures, the tannin will fade and the fruit component will begin to taste more ripe. If you open a bottle that seems too tannic, all is not lost. Use a decanter to emulate the aging process, and watch as your wine transforms over the course of your dinner.
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Generalize at your own risk. Bigger white wines such as Chardonnay go through a similar aging process as reds, only their decanting needs are a little trickier to spot. Unlike reds, winemakers will often intentionally make white wine acidic or tart, as a point of style, by halting the malolactic fermentation process, which converts malic acid to lactic acid. This is why some white wines make you pucker while others are viscous and buttery. Due to this, don't decant your Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio because of its dominant fruit notes. Yet if your Chardonnay lacks fruit, is chalky in texture, and relatively young, feel free to pass it through the decanter to let it breathe.
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If your wine does not need decanting, you may of course still decant it. Drinking wine, above all, is about taking risks and trying new things. Use a decanter just to see how the wine changes and evolves over time. If nothing else, a wine decanter (along with a few nice bottles) looks great on the dinner table, especially at your favorite steakhouse.
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Tips & Warnings
To speed up the decanting process for a wine with heavy sediment, cover the top of the decanter with cheese cloth and pour freely.
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