DECANTING and aerating
in your wine routine

Anyone who deals with wine has likely heard this question from their customers when they purchase a wine for the first time: “Do I need to decant it?” At this point, it’s always advisable to take a deep breath and avoid becoming pedantic. After all, most customers don’t have a deep understanding of wine. It’s not helpful to launch into a lecture about the difference between decanting and aerating. The latter is usually what is meant.

In other words, aerating a young wine in a decanter so that it opens up more quickly and the aromas develop better. By contrast, decanting actually refers to the process of carefully pouring an aged wine from the bottle into a decanter to separate it from the sediment. If you want to celebrate this process, you can present the wine in a decanting basket beforehand, rinse the decanter, and pour the wine over a candle to see precisely when the sediment starts to move toward the neck of the bottle.

Decanting is usually not necessary

There may be wine shops that specialize in aged wines, but these are more the exception than the rule. When a customer asks if they need to decant the wine, in most cases, they mean aerating. This is usually a quick conversation because most wines produced globally are intended for young consumption. There is no need to give the wine time and space to unfold before drinking. All the aromas are already present as soon as the bottle is opened.

The only exception is red wines with a lot of tannin, which can sometimes feel harsh on the palate. If such wines are aerated for an hour or two before consumption, the tannin softens and becomes rounder. Generally speaking, a wine aerated for one hour in a decanter accelerates its natural aging by roughly a year. For this reason, it is advisable not to aerate white wines meant to be consumed young, as they might surpass their peak during this time in the decanter and end up lifeless in the glass. That’s not something anyone wants.

Aerating: a few tips

If your customers want to aerate a young wine at home, you can give them the rule of thumb, “One hour in the decanter equals one year of additional aging.” This is a valuable tip for those just starting to explore wine, providing them with confidence in handling the topic. If your customers are more advanced, you can tailor and expand your advice accordingly.

If, for instance, your customers don’t have several hours to wait for the wine to open up, you can recommend double decanting. Here, the wine is first poured into a decanter, swirled vigorously for a minute, and then poured back into the bottle. A regular kitchen funnel works best for this. This method exposes the wine to more oxygen and helps it open up faster. The same applies to what is known as shock decanting, where the wine is poured forcefully from the bottle into the decanter, allowing more air to contact the wine.

Decanting: Guide your customers

Of course, there are times when decanting is actually necessary. Typically, your customers will be experienced enough not to need assistance. But as with anything, there is always a first time. Don’t hesitate to offer your knowledge. Decanting can be tricky. Usually, the aged wine that needs decanting has been stored lying down for several years. To ensure that the sediment stays at the bottom during decanting, it is advisable to stand the bottle upright for at least 12 hours before opening, allowing the sediment to settle.

For particularly old wines, it is advisable to use a feather corkscrew as the cork may break. If it does, you can use a decanter strainer to filter out any cork crumbs while pouring the wine into a decanter. Your customers will likely appreciate it if you suggest using a regular kitchen sieve or coffee filter so they don’t need to purchase rarely used tools. Recommending a carafe instead of a decanter can also earn you extra points. Aged wine should be exposed to as little oxygen as possible, as it can deteriorate quickly. For this reason, you should warn against double decanting or shock decanting in these cases. What might be good for young wine could spell disaster for aged wine. Therefore, it’s also advisable to use a slim carafe rather than a wide decanter.

Decanting, aerating – and practicality

As you can see, when you explain the practical handling of wine and give tips, it doesn’t really matter if your customers know the difference between decanting and aerating. Such explanations can quickly be perceived by customers as condescending, leaving a negative impression. Not to mention, it unnecessarily raises the barrier to understanding wine.

However, if you provide your customers with practical tips that maximize their enjoyment, you build trust and communicate on an equal footing. This way, you not only build trust and demonstrate wine expertise, but you can also more easily win loyal customers. If you can also recommend or sell the appropriate carafes and decanters, you’ll surely leave a lasting impression on your customers.