| VIN-SIGHTS |
WHY DO WE DECANT SOME WINES ?
Decanters have long been used to make wine look pretty , or to control its temperature , but improving flavor by decanting is a relatively recent phenomenon .
Historically , decanters were filled from barrels in order to bring wine to the table . But the decanter was largely rendered obsolete when wine began to be sold from the winery in bottles rather than casks .
For most of the 20th century , there remained only two possible reasons for transferring a wine from its original package into a separate serving vessel . At fancy restaurants and luxurious dinners — where mature , high-end red wines were served — pouring wines gently off of sediments they develop ( after 10 or more years of aging ) into a decanter allowed all people to partake in clean , bright wine without the last person getting a cloudy glass .
And in modest restaurants and taverns , using more practical carafes for wine service allowed for portion control when drawing wine from larger , bulk-sized bottles , boxes or casks .
But now that fine wines are increasingly consumed earlier in their evolution , the practice of decanting has evolved around an entirely new goal : helping younger wines taste more mature by helping them to “ breathe ,” or aerate . Aeration is only beneficial for high-quality wines that have yet to reach their peak , so premium red wines and dessert wines are decanted more often than other styles .
How long a wine should breathe for maximum benefit depends on the resilience of the wine in question , and is a topic subject to spirited debate even among experts . In practice , though , very few wines are concentrated enough to taste appreciably better after more than an hour or two in a decanter .
Marnie Old is a leading wine educator . Formerly the director of wine studies for Manhattan ’ s French Culinary Institute , she is best known for her visually engaging books published by DK , such as Wine : A Tasting Course . Marnie currently serves as director of vinlightenment for Boisset Collection .
DECANTERS & CARAFES
Serving vessels for wine have become more specialized now that modern wine bottles fulfill their original function .
EXCESS CAPACITY Many modern decanters are large enough to hold two or more bottles , but are designed to give a single bottle ample space for swirling and plenty of air .
LUXURY DECANTER
WIDE BASE Modern decanters provide a large surface area to maximize wine aeration , which benefits younger wines , but poses a danger for mature wines that are at or past their peak .
RESTAURANT-STYLE CARAFE
PORTION CONTROL
In restaurants , metered carafes are useful for doling out consistent volumes of wine from larger bottles , boxes or casks .
NARROW BASE A small footprint conserves space on table and in cupboards , and helps make carafes easy to pour as well .
OXYGEN CAN BE WINE ’ S FRIEND OR WINE ’ S FOE Wine is not inert . Its flavors change slowly as it matures in barrels , and continue to shift as it ages in bottles . Both of these necessary processes in wine ’ s development are caused by wine ’ s interaction with the oxygen present in air . But to have a positive effect on wine quality , these must proceed at a snail ’ s pace . When a cork is pulled and wine is poured , the rush of oxygen-rich air triggers rapid changes that alter the taste of the wine in the glass , even as we drink it . In high-quality wines that are not yet mature , the wine may benefit from this for a time , and the finest wine may even continue to taste better for a day or two after being opened . But older fine wines lose their preservative superpowers over time , and those which are already fully mature may lose their charm quickly after they are poured . Less ambitious , value-oriented wines , and those made in modern “ drink me now ” styles , also feature less-potent defenses against oxidative decline , and tend to succumb swiftly . These often lose freshness of flavor , with tasting flattened in a matter of hours after being opened and poured .
WWW . CHEERSONLINEATHOME . COM CHEERS @ HOME • SUMMER 2023 | 11