Decanting Red Wine - Does It Make a Difference?

For Red Wine there is the argument as to whether decanting wine has an effect on the flavour or taste when drinking.  Some say, decanting is only really effective for wines of a certain price range or age.  Some people say you get the same effect by swirling the wine in your glass so why bother with the extra apparatus.

Currently our household has two traditional decanters, two wine carafes, and two Aerators including the Metrokane Rabbit.  From what we have tasted and tried, we certainly feel like there is a need to decant Red Wine and by that we mean ALL Red Wine.  It doesn't matter if it is $5 or $500 dollars, it is at minimum aerated and normally decanted.  What we have noticed over time is that all wine needs that time to breathe.  For some wines, it is a marginal improvement, if at all, and for others it is a magical transformation of a wine that may start as not so enjoyable suddenly blooms into a tasty little specimen. 

That time in the decanter and the addition of that oxygen always have a positive effect on the wine.  To what extent is where the decanter argument comes into play.  For us, it is a simply motto that wine improves in the decanter and it doesn't matter by how much.  Those wines that start out 'tight' are in desperate need of time in the decanter.  How much time depends on the wine.  We try to give it 20 to 30 minutes if possible but sometimes you know what....it comes out of the bottle and into the decanter and into the glass pretty much all in one movement.  However, that first glass never tastes as good as the second.  So, while we have no empirical data to prove what oxidation coefficients and whatnot are involved, we do know that in the question to decant or not decant, we fall squarely on the decant side of the equation.

Have an opinion?  Want to try it for yourself?  Well good, let us know your thoughts and how it goes.

As always....

Keep on drinking!

Chris & Shannon