About Barware

Decanting Wine: How to do it

Assuming that we are decanting a wine in order to remove it from its sediment, there is a simple procedure to follow. If decanting a wine simply to aerate it and perhaps liven it up a little, this procedure doesn’t really matter. Simply pour the wine into any suitable receptacle with minimal fuss.

Decanting wine: First, take the wine from where it has been stored, hopefully lying on its side in a suitably cool, dark environment. If you suspect a considerable amount of sediment, as may occur with older wines, it’s advisable to stand the bottle upright for a day or so prior to decanting, thus allowing the sediment to fall to the bottom of the bottle. When the time comes to decant the wine, assemble the few things which you will need. These are corkscrew and bottle (obviously), together with a suitable receptacle, which does not have to be anything fancy, a simple carafe such as the one shown here will do, together with a suitable source of light. I use a small candle, as shown here, but a small torch or anything similar will do.

Second, remove the entire capsule from around the neck of the bottle, using a knife or other implement. It’s important to remove the whole capsule, and not just the top, as you need to have a clear view into the neck of the bottle whilst decanting. This is so that you can observe the wine coming through the neck for sediment. To enhance your view of the wine in the neck, position the light source shining through the neck from behind. Once done, you are ready to pour.

Hold the receptacle in one hand and the bottle in the other, and with a smooth and steady action, pour the wine into the decanter. Don’t rush when decanting, rather use a gentle, steady movement, to avoid disturbing the sediment in the wine. Keep the neck of the bottle over the light source, so that you can observe for an arrowhead of sediment moving into the neck of the bottle. This is your cue to stop pouring.

Decanting wineIf you’ve done it all correctly, this should be the end result. A full carafe or decanter of clear wine, with just half a glass or so of sediment-laden wine remaining. This remaining portion makes a great addition to the gravy, should you be decanting the wine as an accompaniment to a roast dinner. Don’t fret too much if you haven’t achieved a crystal clear pour, as a small amount of very fine sediment is not a great concern - as long as the large, unpalatable pieces have been removed.