Wine Decanter: Useful Tool or Silly Pretension?

If I ever made a list of the wine questions I’m asked most frequently, the question of decanting wine would definitely be near the top.

Decanting, for those who don’t know the word, means pouring wine from its original bottle into a container.

You’ve probably seen the ritual – even if only on television.  The wine steward at a fancy restaurant gracefully and with much fanfare pours some really expensive wine with a fancy label into a beautiful crystal vessel (the decanter). 

Like most of us, you’ve probably wondered whether decanting actually improves the wine or whether the wine steward just thinks he looks really cool because he can pour the entire bottle into a narrow-necked jar without spilling any.

Like many things wine-related, the answer is not clear-cut. 

Sometimes decanting is good for the wine.  Sometimes, it’s just a way for a host to show off or for a fancy restaurant to try to impress a guest and justify the high price of a particular bottle of wine.  And still other times, decanting can actually harm a wine.

Although the answer isn’t always clear, there are some general rules that can help you in making an educated guess as to when to decant and when to avoid decanting. 

1.   Decanting is a good idea when you have an older wine that has a lot of sediment accumulated.  Most people don’t like to chew their wine, so decanting is a great way to get rid of the chewy part.  Pour the wine VERY gently (to minimize any damage to the wine) and very slowly into a decanter until you notice sediment in the neck.  Because decanting actually increases the wine’s exposure to oxygen, it’s best to drink an older wine shortly after decanting--before the oxygenation process turns your drink into vinegar.

2.   Decanting can sometimes improve a young, bold, tannic wine such as cabernet, syrah or nebbiolo (which are, incidentally, all red wines; very few white wines have many tannins).  Tannic wines are those that seem to dry your mouth out, making your tongue feel a little leathery.  Those wines can also taste a little harsh.  Some people swear that decanting a wine, which exposes it to more oxygen, actually helps to tame the tannins in the wine.  Others believe that decanting wine does the same thing that swirling your glass does, only on a bigger scale – it aerates it, freeing the aromatic flavor molecules so that there are more for you to smell while you drink.  Because your sense of taste is largely dependent upon your sense of smell, decanting allows you to discern more flavors.  This helps to balance the strong perception of tannins.  When I’m not sure whether a wine is young and tannic, I’ll simply pour a small sample and taste it.  If my overall perception of the wine is that it dries my gums and seems harsh, making it hard to taste any fruit or other flavors, then I decant it.  I figure that decanting it might help, and it certainly isn’t going to make it any worse!  In this case, it’s fine to pour the wine vigorously into the decanter.  It’s also fine to decant the wine up to a couple hours before you serve it. 

3.   Don’t decant an older wine unless it has sediment.  As noted above, the decanting process increases the contact that a wine has with oxygen.  If you read my column regularly, you’ll remember that oxygen is the number one enemy of wine.  Too much of it will turn a wine to vinegar.  Older wines already tend to be rather delicate.  Thus, unless an older wine needs to be decanted because it has a lot of sediment, I recommend against decanting it.  So what is an “older wine”?  In general, a red that is more than 7-10 years old or a white that is more than about 5 years old.

4.   With most white wines or red wines that aren’t especially old or tannic, decanting is not likely to improve the wine.  However, it probably won’t hurt it either, so if you like the decanting ritual – or if the label is ugly, and you don’t want your guests to see it – then by all means, go ahead and decant the wine!

5.   A decanter does not have to be a fancy crystal container.  In fact, it’s best not to use lead crystal because the alcohol in the wine can cause the lead to leach into your wine.  You want to avoid lead in your wine, from both an aesthetic standpoint AND from a health standpoint.  I recommend a simple glass decanter.  In fact, my favorite decanter is a cheap glass water carafe that I purchased at a local discount store.  It’s easy to wash, and it’s clear (so I can see the color of the wine and know that any sediment is gone).  And for the price, I’m not afraid of breaking it!

Does decanting matter?  In most cases, probably not.  To some extent, the popularity of decanting is the elevation of “mystique through technique”.  Since my goal as a wine columnist and wine educator is to encourage everyone to experiment and to enjoy wine on its own merits, I’m not a big fan of the overuse of decanting.  Still, I can’t deny that decanting can add ambiance and a touch of decadence to your dinner party.  So if you feel like spicing things up a bit, go ahead and experiment.  With a little practice, you’ll soon be impressing family and guests alike, and no one will be the wiser that the wine would have been just as good if you had poured it straight from the bottle.