Decanting Wine, Step by Step
The following is an excert from the June 2009 edition of Cheers Magazine. Enjoy!
"Most wine benefits from proper decanting. There are four basic reasons why decanting a bottle of wine is important, two that are obvious and two that are less so. The primary reasons we decant a young wine is air... the contact with the ambient air (oxygen)will help open the wine up and make it more enjoyable in the moment.
The second reason to decant is the removal of sediment from an older wine.
The third reason we decant wines is for show. The theatrics of decanting a wine at table will inevitably get heads turning.
Finally, we decant wines to bring them up to an enjoyable temperature when they may have been stored a little cold... pouring into a warmer vessel - a decanter - helps make sure the wine is at an enjoyable drinking temperature.
Step by Step
1. Prepare for decanting. Mise en place for an older wine includes a clean decanter, candle, matches, ashtray, cork removal tolls, multiple clean serviettes, decanting basket and under-liners for the cork, bottle and decanter. For a young bottle, none of the light-related accoutrements are required.
2. Remove an old wine bottle carefully from the bin so as not to disturb the sediment.
3. Gently remove the cork, and carefully clean the lip and top of the bottle.
4. Carefully lift the bottle from the basket and pour into the decanter in one smooth movement, using the light of the candle to look for sediment. Avoid touching the bottle to the decanter.
5. Pour guests wine from the decanter in the standard manner."