How messy are you prepared to get? A long time ago I dated a guy who had the mortifying habit, when dining at expensive restaurants, of placing one palm over a glass of freshly opened red and shaking it like he was auditioning for the Tom Cruise part in Cocktail. Then he would wipe his dripping hand on his table napkin, take a sip and exclaim over how well the wine had opened up. It was an emergency CPR method of getting wine to breathe that required no advance planning. Even though it worked (and I ended up marrying him), I think asking to have the wine decanted might have been a mite less embarrassing.
If youre at home, you can open the wine an hour or three before you plan to drink it but dont expect it to do much to aerate the wine. The surface exposed to air is so small that its unlikely to make a lot of difference. Pouring the wine into another vessel – from a height, if you have good aim and like drama – is much more effective.
Before you embark on the whole breathing thing, think about whether your wine needs it. A big, bold, young wine – a South Australian shiraz, for example – might taste tough when freshly opened and will generally benefit from air. Some wines like this can taste better after a day of being open. But a more refined wine of similar youth – for example, a pinot noir – is unlikely to need or want more air than it gets from simply being splashed into a glass.Advertisement
As a rule of thumb, the older and more delicate a wine is, the more quickly it will deteriorate after being exposed to air. A wine bottled under cork may have been breathing – albeit slowly – for years. Once the cork is pulled and the wine is poured, its remaining fruit aromas can dissipate fast. If you have a special old bottle (more than about 10 years) and youre in doubt, dont open it too early – instead, pour a quick glass for yourself before deciding whether to decant.
To complicate things, aeration isnt the only reason to decant red wines: some wines drop a crust of sediment and can be decanted to avoid getting particles into the glass. If youve decanted for this reason and the wine is old, drink it sooner rather than later.,
Young, tannic reds need oxygen to soften tannins Still, most young, tannic reds can benefit from some aggressive swirling and 10–20 minutes in the glass. This will help open up big, brooding wines and allow for overpowering oaky notes to fully integrate with the fruit and often high alcohol levels.
Before you embark on the whole breathing thing, think about whether your wine needs it. A big, bold, young wine – a South Australian shiraz, for example – might taste tough when freshly opened and will generally benefit from air. Some wines like this can taste better after a day of being open. But a more refined wine of similar youth – for example, a pinot noir – is unlikely to need or want more air than it gets from simply being splashed into a glass.Advertisement
If youre at home, you can open the wine an hour or three before you plan to drink it but dont expect it to do much to aerate the wine. The surface exposed to air is so small that its unlikely to make a lot of difference. Pouring the wine into another vessel – from a height, if you have good aim and like drama – is much more effective.
As a rule of thumb, the older and more delicate a wine is, the more quickly it will deteriorate after being exposed to air. A wine bottled under cork may have been breathing – albeit slowly – for years. Once the cork is pulled and the wine is poured, its remaining fruit aromas can dissipate fast. If you have a special old bottle (more than about 10 years) and youre in doubt, dont open it too early – instead, pour a quick glass for yourself before deciding whether to decant.
To complicate things, aeration isnt the only reason to decant red wines: some wines drop a crust of sediment and can be decanted to avoid getting particles into the glass. If youve decanted for this reason and the wine is old, drink it sooner rather than later.,
How messy are you prepared to get? A long time ago I dated a guy who had the mortifying habit, when dining at expensive restaurants, of placing one palm over a glass of freshly opened red and shaking it like he was auditioning for the Tom Cruise part in Cocktail. Then he would wipe his dripping hand on his table napkin, take a sip and exclaim over how well the wine had opened up. It was an emergency CPR method of getting wine to breathe that required no advance planning. Even though it worked (and I ended up marrying him), I think asking to have the wine decanted might have been a mite less embarrassing.
Decanting a wine is a fancy way of saying you’re pouring it from the bottle into another vessel. As you pour the wine slowly but steadily from the bottle to a new vessel—say, a carafe—you’ll expose it to air and separate the sediment from the wine you’ll end up drinking.
Young red wines can be high in tannins. This is especially true of Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, and Red Zinfandel varieties. Aeration exposes the tannins to oxidation, which softens their mild bitterness. White wines don’t have tannins, so decanting them isn’t really necessary.
Exposing wine to air for a short time allows it to oxidize. This process—known as oxidation—helps to soften the flavors and releases its aromas. Most red and white wines will improve when exposed to air for at least 30 minutes. The improvement, however, requires exposure to far more than the teaspoon or so exposed by simply uncorking the wine.
White wines rarely produce sediment, but older reds and vintage ports continue to produce it as they age. It’s caused as color pigments and tannins bond together and drops to the bottom of the bottle. Stirred up, those sediments can insert a bitter flavor and gritty texture to the wine. They will also cloud the wine’s appearance.
You want the wine—all of it—to breathe or be exposed to air. This is the way to do it. Decanting wine serves a dual purpose. You’ll aerate the wine, and you’ll separate it from any sediment that may have formed during its production and aging.
How Long Does Wine Last Once It’s Opened?
FAQ
Can you let red wine breathe too long?
How long after opening red wine is it safe to drink?
How far in advance should you open red wine?
How long can you leave red wine open before drinking?
How long should I wait for a glass of wine?
If so, let us know by emailing us at [email protected]. At the end of a long day, the last thing you want to do is wait 30 minutes to pour a fresh glass of wine.
Is it good to drink a glass of red wine before bed?
It is a controversial subject as some can benefit from the compounds present in wine and sleep well, but others can feel the effects of alcohol and not get a good night’s sleep.
How long should a wine be in the fridge before drinking?
Medium-bodied reds like Cabernet Franc or Sangiovese can fall somewhere in between. These are best practices, but if you’re just looking to casually open a bottle without any fuss, just follow the handy 20-minute rule: Put red wines in the fridge for 20 minutes before drinking, and take white wines out of the fridge 20 minutes before drinking.
How long does wine last after opening?
The neck opening is so small that your wine isn’t going to get enough air in time for dinner, nor probably even for tomorrow morning’s breakfast. On the other hand, this feature also helps the wine to last for a couple of days – and sometimes longer – after opening.