Decanting wine is simply pouring wine from a bottle into another vessel. There are two reasons why you should decant a wine. The first and most common reason is to aerate the wine (also known as allowing the wine to “breathe”) in order to improve the taste of young and inexpensive wine. The second reason is to keep the wine free of sediment that can be found in older vintages of Port or aged Bordeaux wines.
But, how long should be wine decanted? And does the wine turn bad if decanted too long?
Red Wines – 20 minutes to 2 hours, depending on style.
White and Rosé Wines – up to 30 minutes, based on conditions.
Sparkling Wines – up to 30 minutes, based on certain conditions.
Other styles – tips on natural wines, orange wines, and more.
Which Wine to Decant
Decanting can benefit most young medium to full-bodied, oak-aged red wines with grippy tannins or a sharp, spicy flavor, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Syrah. Decanting, on the other hand, will benefit very few California white wines.
1. Red wines
Decanting is beneficial to nearly all red wines. Following decantation, two primary processes (oxidation and evaporation) contribute to red wines tasting fruitier and smoother.
– At around 15–20 minutes, the reductive traits in red wines blow off.
– At around 30–45 minutes, the “burning” or “sharp” aromas in red wines are less detectable.
– At around 60 minutes, tannins start to mellow out. Longer decanting times are usually reserved for bold red wines with very astringent-tasting tannins.
2. White & Rosé wines
Most white and rosé wines do not require decanting. Some aromatic compounds waft away, such as the passionfruit flavor in Sauvignon Blanc! So the only time you should decant a white or rosé wine is if it has been “reduced”.
If you only detect “mineral-like” flavors and very few fruit aromas, your white may have been reduced. It’s not a big deal!
Pouring the wine into a glass and waiting about 15 minutes usually solves the problem. After you wait, you should notice a lot more fruit aromas!
How long is Too long?
You should be fine as long as you drink your wines within a few hours of decanting them. Of course, there are some exceptions:
– Old wines: Some old wines are extremely delicate and quickly deteriorate after being opened. If you’re planning a tasting of old wines, your best bet is to have “primer” wines on hand. Alternatively, you can ask the producer for a recommendation.
– Delicate White wines: with higher levels of thiols (smells like grapefruit, passionfruit, or guava) may lose aromas if over-decanted. Read on for more information.
