Decanting is more than just a ceremonial process. It can benefit the wine you are about to taste in several ways. First, it allows you to serve the wine in an attractive vessel for maximum appreciation of its color. In addition, it separates any sediment from the wine to preserve its clarity. Finally, it oxygenates the wine by increasing the degree of contact between the liquid and the air. Why is this important?

This oxygenation removes the enclosed, musty odors accumulated by a wine that has been bottle-aged for several years. These aromas are to be expected, and rapidly depart, allowing the wine’s bouquet to fully emerge. The wine should not be decanted too far in advance, however, or this bouquet, often subtle in older wines, will dissipate. This is less important for fine white wines than for reds. However, connoisseurs also tend to decant fine, barrel-aged white wines.

Decanting young red wines serves a different purpose, namely releasing any carbon dioxide present in the wine following bottling. Also, it can soften the young, heavy and overly firm tannins present in some wines. Once in contact with air, the oxygen renders them softer and less aggressive. The general rule is to decant wine two hours before it will be consumed. Aromatic wines with light tannins should not be decanted, as the complexity of their aromas could be lost in the process. Their bouquets must be carefully preserved.

To decant or not to decant? An easy way to decide is to taste the wine right after it is opened. Your taste buds will advise you better than any literature that exists on the subject, as decanting is not an exact science. It is primarily determined by personal preference.