Decanting wine: when, why and how

How to decant wine?

Wine can be decanted in two ways:

• Either by simply uncorking the bottle and leaving it open for a while, long enough for the wine to develop all its aromas;
• Or by transferring the wine into a decanter, which is a transparent glass container with a narrow neck and a wide bottom. This peculiar shape increases the surface area of contact between the wine and the air, and therefore the oxygenation. Moreover, using a decanter you can serve the wine, avoiding transferring unwanted sediments in the glass.

Here are the fundamentals, to employ a decanter:

• Place the bottle upright for a few hours so that any sediment settles on the bottom;
• Uncork the wine.
  In the case of very old wines, carefully wipe the neck of the bottle with a cloth. This prevents dust or bacteria from being transferred into the wine.
• Decant the wine slowly from the bottle into the decanter.
  When you begin to see sediment in the neck of the bottle, you better stop so as not to risk having it back in the glass and affect the brilliance of the wine. Professional sommeliers help themselves with a candle or a light, which is placed under the bottle during decanting, precisely to control the deposit and stop decanting at the right moment.
• Leave the wine in the decanter for some time, and then serve it.

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​​​​​​​It's very interesting to think for a moment about the meaning of the word "to decant". 
At least, in Italian, it has two interpretations and a double etymology: in one case it literally means “to put aside” and it reflects exactly what happens from a physical-chemistry point of view, as we said. In the other case, the significance is related to “read out singing”. It comes from a far-way time, but without a doubt, it brings along a sense of irony.

Decanting wine is technically useful, enjoy it by drinking good wine that has had the chance of expressing itself at the best is a great idea, yet overdoing by decanting them with pretentious definitions is just odd. 

So, let's just enjoy wines!  😉