I’ve been getting this question a lot these past few months: when should you decant or aerate wine?
Great question! Let’s break it down into when, what and why to decant or aerate.
First thing’s first: we need to talk about aeration.
Aeration
Wines spend a lot of time sealed up tight in their bottles with no exposure to air. Before bottling, the aromas and flavours from the grapes themselves (primary aromas) and from winemaking techniques like oak aging (secondary aromas) are often quite distinct. The longer a wine spends in the bottle, the longer these prominent flavours meld together, harmonize and soften. Once in the bottle, other aromas and flavours will also begin to develop in the wine, like honey or earthiness (these are known as tertiary aromas).
You know how a wine changes from the time you first open a bottle, to an hour later, to even the next day? That is the effect of aeration.
Aeration, or oxygenation, means exposing a wine to oxygen and letting it “breathe” to release all of these aromas after being cooped up in the bottle for so long.
BONUS: Aerating can also soften strong or astringent tanninsTannins help form a wine’s structure, but generally only in red wines. Tannins come from the grape’s stems, seeds and skins, and to a lesser extent from the wood in... More.
How to aerate a wine
There are lots of ways to aerate a wine.
1. Decanters
How many of you have fancy decanters?
And how many of you actually use them?
Mine is currently collecting dust on a tall shelf I can’t even reach, and I suspect I am not alone in this respect, especially this year, when entertaining went right out the window.
Decanting is the act of pouring a bottle of wine into another receptacle, most often a decanter. This process exposes all of the wine to oxygen as it exits the bottle and runs down the side of the decanter, thereby fast-tracking aeration and releasing the wine’s aromas.
Decanting also has the secondary benefit of trapping polymerized tanninTannins help form a wine’s structure, but generally only in red wines. Tannins come from the grape’s stems, seeds and skins, and to a lesser extent from the wood in... More (i.e. sediment) in the bottle and keeping this bitter substance out of your glass, so you don’t have to use your teeth as a strainer. Just keep the last half-cup of wine in the bottom of the bottle to avoid transferring any sludge.
Pro tip: While pouring a wine into a decanter, put a light or candle underneath the bottle so you can see the sediment reach the neck of the bottle. That’s when to stop pouring.
What wines should be decanted?
- Older red wines – as mentioned above, the tanninsTannins help form a wine’s structure, but generally only in red wines. Tannins come from the grape’s stems, seeds and skins, and to a lesser extent from the wood in... More in red wine polymerize in the bottle over time, so decanting the wine before serving can keep the sediment out of your glass. Be prepared to savour this wine quickly (i.e. within a few hours), because it will rapidly deteriorate with exposure to oxygen. Pro tip: 24 hours before opening, stand the bottle upright so the sediment accumulates at the bottom.
Young, full-bodied, high-tannin red wines – wines have the most tanninTannins help form a wine’s structure, but generally only in red wines. Tannins come from the grape’s stems, seeds and skins, and to a lesser extent from the wood in... More when they are young, then it breaks down over time. Decanting essentially mimics the aging process. Oxygenation will soften the tanninsTannins help form a wine’s structure, but generally only in red wines. Tannins come from the grape’s stems, seeds and skins, and to a lesser extent from the wood in... More and make the wine more pleasant to drink.
Examples of high-tannin wines to decant:
- Cabernet sauvignon
- Syrah/shiraz
- Bordeaux blends
- Côte du Rhône blends
- Nebbiolo
How long should wines sit in a decanter before drinking?
The basic rule of thumb here is: the older the wine, the less time it will need to breathe in the decanter.
If the wine is 15+ years it probably won’t need to sit too long. Some wine pros will set aside a decanting wine for a couple of hours if it’s less than 15 years old – but honestly, who has that kind of patience??
I generally just use trial and error – keep sipping and see how the flavours evolve!
Decanter Pros
- Good way to keep sediment out of your glass.
- Looks pretty.
Decanter Cons
- Pain in the butt to wash
- High risk of breakage.
- If you pour the whole bottle into the decanter, you have to drink it all (ok, not necessarily a bad thing).
What decanter should I buy?
Decanters come in all shapes and sizes. Pick one that is easy to pour (i.e. ergonomic for your hand size), and that suits your budget.
The Final Touch Conundrum Aerating Decanter both aerates and catches sediment, plus it comes in both a 375 and 750 mL version.
This Kitchwise decanter is a nice option, plus it comes with a very handy cleaning brush. Decanters are a pain in the butt to clean, not to mention dry. Luckily there are also lots of drying stands out there. Do your research and make sure the stand will hold the weight of your specific decanter.
Why do decanters come in such weird shapes? The larger the surface area of the decanter, the longer the wine has to travel down the sides, giving it more time to oxygenate.
2. Aerators
Scenario: You’ve opened up a bottle of red wine and its tanninsTannins help form a wine’s structure, but generally only in red wines. Tannins come from the grape’s stems, seeds and skins, and to a lesser extent from the wood in... More and flavours are too harsh. You don’t have a decanter. But maybe you have an aerator.
Aerators work by forcing air through wines that are poured into them.
Aerators come in all shapes and sizes. Some attach to the bottle. Some are hand held. Whatever the form, they all serve the same purpose: oxygenating your wine as you pour so it “breathes”, softening any harsh notes.
Aerator Pros
- Instant aeration. No waiting.
- You can aerate the exact amount of wine you’re going to drink.
Aerator Cons
- Some critics argue they aren’t effective.
- Many won’t catch sediment in older wines.
What aerator should I buy?
I can’t tell you what to buy, but I can tell you which ones I own and occasionally use:
- The
” target=”_blank”>Vinturi aerator is one of the most popular on the market.
The glugging, slurping sound tells you it’s working. That’s the sound of wine being exposed to oxygen. I have the Vinturi white wine aerator (it was a gift), and I suspect it aerates the wine slightly less than the red wine version would. However, the difference between the two models is a closely guarded secret, so the white wine vs. red wine aerator could very well be a marketing gimmick. Pick whichever you think you’ll use more (see bonus question below about decanting white wines).
- Here’s my in-bottle option: the VinOair aerator
New post on #decanters and #aerators coming soon to the blog! #wineblog pic.twitter.com/pvbtpi13UI
— Wining with Mel (@WiningWithMel) November 23, 2020
The VinOair did a really nice job of smoothing out a young (2017), high-tannin Côtes du Roussillon red wine that had shockingly already been open for over 24 hours. Pre-VinOair, the wine was quite chewy, but after aerating into the glass as shown in the above video, the tanninsTannins help form a wine’s structure, but generally only in red wines. Tannins come from the grape’s stems, seeds and skins, and to a lesser extent from the wood in... More were softened considerably, revealing beautiful black cherry, herbaceous and tobacco notes. The sediment strainer is also a nice touch for older wines.
Comes with this great case 
VinOair case contents: in-bottle aerator plus sediment strainer (top left)
3. The old-fashioned way
- Open bottle one hour before drinking.
- Pour into glasses in advance.
- Swirl to increase wine’s exposure to oxygen.
Many experts say that opening the bottle alone is not enough to aerate a wine properly, because the bottle’s narrow neck only exposes a small area of wine to oxygen.
However, pouring wine into a glass certainly increases its oxygenated surface area.
Swirling is another great way to aerate the wine in your glass to help release its aromas and open up its flavours.
Pros
- No fancy gadgets required.
- Pour only what you drink (no wasting).
Cons
- Requires some advance planning.
- Swirling properly does take a bit of practice (hint: to avoid spillage, don’t overfill the glass).
Mel’s opinion: Personally, this is the method I use 99.9% of the time. It doesn’t require any fancy tools, just a bit of foresight and a wrist warm-up.
BONUS QUESTION:
Should you decant white wine?
There are definitely some white wines that can be decanted. They tend to be fuller-bodied oaked wines, like chardonnay (including Bourgogne) and older Bordeaux. Note: whites won’t need as much decanting time as reds. 5-15 minutes will do!
There you have it! Everything you need to know about aerating and decanting. Leave your thoughts or questions in the comments below.
Happy wining!
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Great post. I’ve decanted some REALLY old wines and found that it absolutely destroys them. There’s a fine line between that age when a wine needs to open up and when it’s needs to just be tasted ASAP!
Exactly! Drink those old wines quickly if decanting! Thanks for reading 🙂
Thanks Mel! Again, very informative. The VinOair contraption looks like a torture implement or something Darth Vader might have in her personal care toolkit.
But so effective!