Carafe or Decant Wine? How Is It Done?

When caraffing, wine is poured out of the bottle into a carafe. The carafe belly is usually large in order to enable as much air as possible to reach the wine and develop the aroma. The procedure is only carried out for wines that do not have sediment. Older wines should not be caraffed as oxidation (exposure to air) could lead to spoilage. Therefore, the decanting and caraffing procedures are strictly separated from each other. The very brave are said to have even tried to swirl a lot of air into wine using a blender. If they are to be believed, it worked extremely well. So that's definitely worth a try, right?

Decanting for older and matured wines

When decanting, the main focus is on separating the sediment from the drinkable wine. A particularly careful approach is strongly recommended. To do this, if possible, bring the bottle into an inclined position several hours before consumption. The deposits will then collect at the bottom of the bottle and, when you begin pouring, will be more visible. Stop pouring as soon as they appear, ensuring they will not end up in guests' glasses later on. Real experts use a candle to decant. They hold this under the neck of the bottle to monitor when the deposit enters the neck and immediately stop pouring (the torch on your mobile phone will also work).

Which wine should be caraffed now?

Wines that are particularly rich in tannins benefit from caraffing. Tannins are reactive substances and provide that furry feeling on the tongue. Flavour unevenness can be smoothed out by caraffing and the wine appears much more harmonious after aeration. Even young, strong red wines can be upgraded by supplying oxygen. The tannins become softer and the wine appears more mature. The best thing to do is to let the wine stand in the carafe for 15 to 30 minutes before drinking it. In most cases, it is worth the wait.

You can find a selection of wines that should be caraffed in our 9wines red wine selection.