Tip #44 – Is decanting just for show?
We'll clear it up
You're sitting in an elegant restaurant and at the next table, you see wine being proudly celebrated with a carafe. Is it all just for show, or does it actually make sense?
In the life of a wine enthusiast, the questions of decanting, carafing, and avinating should eventually be explored. We'll clarify and provide insight into these important steps for enjoying wine.
Decanting
Decanting separates the wine from the sediment, also known as deposit. This forms over the years that the wine slumbers in the cellar. The bottle is slowly and carefully emptied into a carafe over a light source, usually a candle. As soon as the sediment appears in the neck of the bottle, stop the process.
For old wines, I recommend against decanting, as otherwise, oxygen contact will become excessive and oxidation will harm the wine.
Carafeing
Carafeing is particularly suitable for young and closed wines with a lot of tannin. Pour the wine into a carafe with plenty of vigor; it's okay if it foams. This opens up the wine, or rather the bouquet, and the wine becomes more approachable. However, be careful with delicate, fresh, fruity wines like Pinot Noir. It can happen that the wine closes up and the opposite effect occurs. Older and mature wines should also not be carafed, as they come into contact with too much oxygen and can spoil.
But it's not just reds; white wines can also benefit from carafing. Young, heavy Chardonnays, Chenin Blanc, and even Bordeaux Cuvée (Sauvignon Blanc / Sémillon) aged in barriques gain from air contact, and the wine appears rounder.
Avinating
Avinating involves rinsing the wine glass or carafe with a small splash of wine. Detergent residues, dust, or musty odors are neutralized.
Try it for yourself, and I assure you, in the future, you'll only want to drink wine from avinated glasses.
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