How long does it take to decant the wine

How long does it take to decant wine?

Decanting wine means oxygenating it, so that its aroma develops at its best, since the molecules react with the air, binding to oxygen.

Many think that wine needs several hours to decant, while others think that the time of an "Italian dinner" is enough to adequately aerate a bottle.

It is not easy to establish with precision how long in advance a bottle of wine must be uncorked to obtain its maximum expressiveness, because there are so many factors that intervene.

WINE

How long in advance should a bottle of wine be uncorked?

It is necessary to evaluate the type of wine, the age, the state of conservation; these are the main parameters that affect more clearly, but then there are many others.

It is said that it is necessary to uncork aged wine many hours before, but this is not the case, or to uncork any white or sparkling wine at the time of consumption.

However, experience, which is often acquired by making mistakes, teaches us some rules.

Some wines prefer intense oxygenation, through a large decanter and maybe not necessarily a few hours, others prefer long, but not violent oxygenation, therefore uncorking the wine hours before, but not using the decanter.

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How long before uncorking a bottle of young red or white wine?

In general, an oxygenation of one or two hours is recommended for young red wines, a decanter with a large surface area is the ideal choice. Rather structured wines, not necessarily only reds, but often also whites, if consumed young, express themselves better with the use of the decanter, practically with a rather violent "breathing".

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How long before uncorking a bottle of aged red wine?

Very evolved wines appreciate preventive uncorking, never for many hours, these wines must "breathe" more slowly, without trauma, with simple uncorking. A particularly fragile or old wine (especially one that is 10 years old) should be decanted at least 30 minutes or so before drinking. If the wine has aged for more than 10 years, even 3-4 hours earlier. The oxygen that enters from the neck of the uncorked bottle is sufficient to make it open calmly. In general, therefore, the decanter is used when we want to taste a mature red wine, with a long aging, which requires a passage useful both to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and the presence of sediments that are created over time, which can compromise its clarity.

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How long before opening Amarone?

For tasting it is advisable to open the bottle of Amarone at least an hour beforehand, up to several hours in the case of wines that have been aged for a long time or that have spent a long time in the cellar. In the latter case it is advisable to verticalize the bottle at least one day before tasting.

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How long before opening a Brunello di Montalcino?

It is advisable to open the bottle of Brunello di Montacino at least one hour before tasting, up to several hours in the case of wines aged for a long time or which have spent a long period in the cellar. The ideal serving temperature is between 18 and 22°, however always at room temperature. Even if it could occur to you, try to avoid the decanter and instead prefer opening the bottle two or three hours before to let it re-oxygenate well.

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Should sparkling wines and champagne be decanted?

Many sommeliers also recommend the use of decanters for sparkling wines, even for Champagne. In defense of this choice, some say that already in ancient times, for the creation of Champagne the latter was decanted to separate the yeasts from the drink, which is no longer necessary today, because this process takes place with fermentation mechanics. Therefore, when the objection of not using a decanter for Champagnes, or in general for bubbles born from yeast fermentation, is raised, there are those who argue that bubbles are not lost, but accentuated. The situation is different, however, for Prosecco wines that have undergone the addition of carbon dioxide: in this case the bubbles will certainly be lost after being placed in the decanter, rather than being sublimated.

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When is it not recommended to use the decanter?

The use of the decanter is not always necessary, on the contrary, the theory that it should be used only when faced with certain particular types of wines is becoming stronger and more convinced. In the case of white wine, for example, if it is a young wine, up to one year old and vinified in steel, the decanter should absolutely not be used because it would ruin the fresh and lively structure of the wine itself. The same goes for wines from 2 to 5 years old, always vinified in steel, and for those aged 5 years vinified in cask or barrique. It is more suitable, however, when the wine is between 5 and 10 years old, it has been vinified