Decanting?

[robr]

Is this simply pouring the contents of the bottle into a carafe to allow air to mix in? Which wines should be decanted and which not? How long should it sit before drinking, and what is the best temp. for most reds?

Rob

[winoweenie]

Thas' hows I does it Rob. WW

[Innkeeper]

Light reds such as Beaujolais don't need to be decanted (except for a few crusty Cue Beaujolais), and served cooler than other reds; around 60 degrees versus 65 degrees. All other reds can benifit from decanting. Younger ones for the areation, and older ones for their care. Pesky sediment can occur almost anytime in the life of red wine, and decanting takes care of that.

[wondersofwine]

I've heard that with older wines you have to be careful of decanting in advance of drinking. Some delicate Burgundies, etc. can deteriorate quickly when exposed to air. These you might want to decant just prior to drinking. Something like a robust Cabernet Sauvignon or Barolo, you might want to decant 1-3 hours ahead of time.

[immolation75]

This is news to me...again, I'm a beginner. What do you use to decant the wine in??? Can you buy a decanter anywhere??? If this is the case, then how come restaurants don't decant the wine (that I know of). I've read about this but didn't pay much attention to it.

[robr]

Good question. I'd like to know that too.

[Thraz]

It's expensive for restaurants to keep decanters, and few diners would want to decant for an hour after ordering wine but before eating. I hear some restaurants do it anyway, but only very high end and I have not been to any. Usually at a restaurant you swirl your wine in the glass for a minute or so (if it's a young wine that needs to breathe). The swirling should be quite firm, i.e. the level of the wine goes up quite a bit along the side of the glass. Therefore, proper wine service should only lead to glasses filled up to a third of the way up or less.

As for decanters, I have seen them in department stores, and certainly your local wine shop would be able to tell you where to get one. They usually look like carafes, but somewhat flatter around the bottom and usually with a stopper.

[This message has been edited by Thraz (edited 07-12-2005).]

[Innkeeper]

Buy a bottle of Paul Masson, the kind with the wide mouth. Use the contents for cooking or cleaning, and use the empty bottle for an inexpensive (including the wine) and functional decanter.

[wondersofwine]

I've decided to buy a duck decanter similar to the one found elsewhere on this website. See: http://www.wines.com/store/index.html
(Scroll down near the bottom of the glassware page for a nice $95.00 duck decanter.) I have seen them for a price of $65.00. Others on the board have recommended using a liter size Paul Masson wine bottle to decant. A crystal decanter should not be used for long time storage as some of the lead in the leaded crystal might leach into the wine. The idea is to have a broader base where the wine has more surface exposure to air but still a fairly narrow neck for pouring.
Looks like IK beat me to it about posting on the Paul Masson bottles. He's the one who has recommended this in the past.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 07-12-2005).]

[robr]

A Paul Masson decanter! Brilliant!! If it's a Rose can I use it to clean the windows?

[This message has been edited by robr (edited 07-12-2005).]