| Are you a wine drinker? I define a wine drinker | | | | is still the need to bring out the flavor in wine |
| as someone who has one to two cups of wine | | | | when it is first opened. It is recommended to |
| each night, mainly with dinner or just sitting out | | | | decanter your wine and let it sit for approx 6 |
| watching television. Well, if you drink this much | | | | hours. So, if you plan to have wine for your |
| wine per week you really need to start decanting | | | | dinner it is a good idea to open the wine in the |
| to get the full flavor of your wine. Just think. If | | | | morning, decanter it and let it sit for the dinner. |
| you are paying anywhere between $30 and $50 | | | | You will see a difference in the taste and aroma |
| dollars per bottle of wine, wouldn't you want to | | | | of your wine by the evening. |
| get the full flavor of your wine and not waste the | | | | So which wines are perfect for decanting? Red |
| $50 dollars. | | | | aged wines are perfect for decanting. Red wines |
| At one time decanting was the only way to drink | | | | that age for 10 years or more even after the |
| wine. Before filtration, wine came with a lot of | | | | filtration process may have some sediment in the |
| settlement. This was because of the process | | | | bottle, most of the time this cannot be avoided. |
| when the wine was bottled. The wine was not | | | | It is just a byproduct of the grape being aged. |
| filtered. Also, most wine came from barrels that | | | | This settlement may be distasteful straight from |
| were locked in the cellars. The wine could not | | | | the bottle. Decanting the wine will bring out the |
| very well be served straight from the barrels. | | | | flavor that has been lost from the aging |
| So, decanters were a way to present the wine. | | | | process. Young wines are also great candidates |
| Decanters were also used so that patrons could | | | | for decanting. Young wines can be bitter straight |
| look at the wine to see how much settlement | | | | out of the bottle. The decanting process |
| was in the wine. If the wine had too much | | | | provides a large surface area for the wine to |
| settlement they would have to filter the wine on | | | | come into contact with the air. This softens the |
| their own. The more they filtered it the better | | | | wine's bite and encourages the development of a |
| clarity the wine had, but also a byproduct came | | | | more complex aroma that is normally gained |
| from this. They found that as the wine was able | | | | through years in the bottle. |
| to breathe it started to taste a lot better. | | | | So, remember decanting is not out the window. |
| Today, wine makers continuously filter their wines | | | | It is fun and should be used for all of your wine. |
| before bottling. Thus, you will not see | | | | If you truely want a great tasting wine then you |
| settlement at the bottom of bottles. But there | | | | want to decant as often as possible. |