Article by Christian Klitgaard

Why Decant?

Most wines today won't really benefit that much from decanting, purely because they have been clarified and processed before bottling. Wines which have been aged in the bottle, more commonly red wines, especially those that have been ageing for over 10 years will still benefit from decanting. Young wines can also benefit as it will aerate the wine and soften it helping it to develop more complex aromas.

To decant the wine to remove sediment

1. Remove whole capsule from neck of bottle, this helps you get a better view of the wine coming out of the bottle
2. Pour the wine into the decanter with a smooth and steady action making sure you don't rush it. Keep the neck of the bottle close to a light source
3. Once you see the arrow head of sediment reach the neck of the bottle, stop pouring. There should be approximately half a glass of sediment left in the bottle

To decant wine to areate and liven it up

1. Simply pour smpothly into a suitable container

Tips:

1. If the wine is old, there is probably quite a lot of sediment, place the bottle upright for at least a day to settle it
2. If it is a new wine and the first taste is tannic, decanting will aerate it and possibly make it taste better
3. Use the remaining sendiment in sauces and gravy's