“Decanting is the final brush stroke on the canvas of a fine wine. The art of decanting allows the artistic nuances to appear.”

Decanting wine is a time honored tradition that dates back before 1500 BC when the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all stored their wine in an “amphora ” which was a clay vessel that allowed for a manageable amount of wine to be brought to the table and poured for an eager guest. At times, seawater, spices, and aromatics were added to the wine to improve flavor (blending).

Fast forward to the seventeenth & eighteenth centuries when wood barrels and glass bottles became the universal vessels for wine storage. Often the wines of these times, such as the British favorite Port, were “Murky. ” This wine was thick and heavy with sediment and was a prime candidate for decanting.

The same was true in the nineteenth century with Madeira. After traveling long distances in the hulls of ships this wine needed to be poured from its dirty, dusty bottle. The beautiful amber color of the wine was something grand to display, so decanting was a common practice.

Before so many wines were clarified (fined and filtered) as they are today, it was common for wines in barrels and bottles to contain a considerable amount of solid matter (sediment). The wine was often decanted into a crystal receptacle to avoid bringing unsightly wine to the table.

In the process of wine making today, the wine is fined (passing egg whites, bentonite clay, or other substances through the wine to collect any solid matter) and then filtered mechanically. Therefore, most wines that we enjoy today do not need to be decanted but will benefit from spending some time exposed to the air.

Wines 10 years or older may benefit from decanting to remove any sediment that has accumulated while the wine has been cellared. Young wines may benefit from decanting (not to remove sediment) but to aerate the wine. Aeration can soften a youthful bite and encourage the complex aromas that normally would take years to develop in a bottle. White wines typically do not need decanting.

If you are decanting an older wine that you suspect may have a considerable amount of sediment, there are a few guidelines to follow to ensure proper decanting. Allow the bottle to sit upright for several days if time allows. This way sediment will settle at the bottom of the bottle. Remove the entire capsule from around the neck of the bottle so that you can see the wine as it is poured into the decanter and using a candle as a light source behind the bottle, pour the wine in a slow and steady flow. When you see sediment moving into the neck of the bottle, this is your cue to stop pouring.

How long should a wine sit after decanting before it is enjoyed? One must simply decant the wine with care, and enjoy it in all its fascinating stages, as it opens, expands. ripens, lives, and retires. Cheers!!!!!