Aerate or Decant?

In Aladdin, Robin Williams character, Genie, is quoted as saying, "It's all part and partial, the whole Genie gig. Phenomenal cosmic powers...itty-bitty living space." What does this have to do with wine? Well, just like that genie, it may have been bottled up in a small confined space for a long period of time. All it wants to do is get out, get some air and stretch. Then, it is ready to deliver its’ promise. But sometimes that promise falls short, and we are required to coax the “genie” out. That is where aeration and/or decanting come in to play.

The process of aerating wine is commonly referred to as "letting the wine breathe." Most of us pour the wine into a glass and swirl it around. While this may seem “wine snobbish”, it does allow the wine to expand, and coat the glass, releasing the aromas and complexities of the wine, and enhancing our experience. Exposing wine to oxygen can improve the taste and aroma. The wine has been kept in a relatively oxygen free environment inside its bottle, so the reintroduction of oxygen can greatly alter and enhance it. However, not all wines need to breathe, and in some case, they should not.

The goal of aeration is to maximize the wine's contact with oxygen. For this reason, simply popping the cork, and letting it sit, isn’t enough. The oxygen to wine-surface contact is pretty small in the neck of a wine bottle. Swirling in the glass is the simple way to “open up” a wine, but to really get some oxygen in there, the wine may need to be “aerated”. Handheld aerators like Vinturi or Respirer, for example, expand the surface area of wine, which allows the air to mingle with it. The wine gurgles through the bubbler, and out into the glass or decanter, softening the tannins of young or bold wines. The aerator will easily do the trick in minutes, and is appropriate where time is of the essence.

Vinturi Aerator

So which wines should be aerated? In general, young red wines, with a tannic profile (Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Syrah, for example), are the best candidates, but these aren’t the only ones. Even white wines can benefit from some aeration. Heavier Chardonnays can open up, and even whites that are over-chilled will present themselves better with a little room temperature air being infused. But again, red wines are the main focus, softening the tannins. Remember, that as wines age, tannins soften and are balanced by other flavors and a stronger bouquet. But in young red wines, particularly heavy reds, the tannins can be harsh and overwhelming. Aeration won’t increase the complexity of a young wine, like an older wine gains in the bottle, but it does soften and smooth out the flavor.

Here’s the big trick….determining what wines need to be aerated. Not all wines need to breathe, and sometimes it will do more harm than good to the flavors. Older wines, about 30 years or older, can become completely oxidized and lose their flavors, if exposed to air for too long. For a friend’s 50^th birthday, I opened up a bottle of 1976 BV George’s Latour. For the first fifteen minutes, the wine had a wonderful bouquet. Within 10 to 15 minutes, the wine had turned brown in the glass, and lost all aroma. If you are unsure, check a site like www.Cellartracker.com, to see tasting notes from others. You will get free advice on how the wine is tasting, and how long it took to open up, or even if the wine isn’t holding well, and is over-the-hill.

What about decanting versus aerating? Many people confuse the two practices. A wine aerator is a rather violent approach to opening up a wine, by adding oxygen into the liquid to improve the taste. Decanting performs a somewhat similar act, but the main purpose is to remove the sediment in older wines, leaving it in the bottle, while the wine is poured into a different vessel. A sommelier will typically set a light (or candle) under the bottle, and gently pour the wine into a glass vessel (or decanter) until he/she starts to see sediment. The sediment is left in the bottle, and the wine in the decanter is then poured into glasses, free of any bitter sediment. Sediment is common in wines of as little as 10 years old, depending on whether they were filtered or fined.

Decanting can also be done to aerate wine. A broad decanter can give the wine maximum contact with the air. Young wines can be poured directly into the decanter. Letting a wine sit in a decanter is a slower way to aerate a wine, and may take many hours. For a dinner party, decanting is a classy way to serve your wine and adds flair to the evening. For younger wines, decant and let sit, checking every half hour, to determine how the wine is evolving. For older vintages, first taste the wine, right out the bottle, before decanting…it may not need decanting (other than to remove sediment), and may in fact oxidize the wine, ruining the entire experience. Also, some wines have something known as “bottle stink”. This is a stale aroma that is noticeable when a wine is first uncorked. This can be caused be over sulfuring a wine or just too much of an anaerobic atmosphere. By transferring the wine to a decanter, the contact with air will often eliminate the odor.

In general, the aeration “rule of thumb” is, the more tannin a wine has, the more time it will need to aerate. Aeration is controversial. Some  insist on aerating tannic reds for two hours, while others say 20 minutes. The practical approach is to tailor the process to the wine itself, and to test it frequently during aeration. When it tastes good to you, drink it.

There you have it. The difference between aeration and decanting is time, and technique. When it comes to your favorite bottle of wine, it's time to put the aerator to use for quick results, but also to use the proper decanting technique when time is on your side, and you are preparing an event for friends and family. Wine can stay in a decanter for hours without spoiling (depending on how much air it needs). Presenting wine in a decanter makes for a more special experience, versus using an aerator. 

Remember that oxygen can be your friend or foe, benefiting or ruining a wine. Old wines will fade fast when exposed to oxygen, and younger wines will open up. The trick is finding the balance. So pick your favorite vintage, relax and enjoy!

Aging Wine

Over the last week, I have had the opportunity to open up some old bottles of wine with friends and family. The 30 year old Burgundy was still holding up, but the 1969 St. Emilion was over the hill. I had made a comment on Facebook, that a wine was past it’s prime, which generated a question…”Aren’t all wines better as they get older, and what do you mean by past its’ prime?”. I wrote about drinking or holding a wine about two years ago, but maybe it's  time to take another look.

First, not all wine benefits from aging. Matter of fact, most wines are meant to be consumed within a year of release. I've heard that the average wine consumer holds on to a bottle of wine for about 40 minutes (the time of purchase to the drive home and consumption). Wine is a perishable product, and due to chemical reactions within the bottle, and oxygen exchange through the cork, the wine will change, and eventually deteriorate. There are a number of factors that affect a wines “ageability”. These include the grape variety, the vintage, the vineyard practices, and the winemaking process, as well as the bottle closure (screwcaps versus corks).

The grape variety will determine the sugar (and ultimately the alcohol) levels, the tannins, and the acids. The vintage is all the affects of climate/weather on the vineyards, which can also influence the final wine product.

The key factors that influence the ageability of  a wine are: acidity, residual sugar, alcohol levels, tannins, and ultimately the flavor and aroma of the wine.

Acidity is what preserves a wine. Acidity determines the pH level of the wine. But, too much acidity can be a flaw. Acidity does not change as a wine ages, it is constant. So, if it has too much or too little to begin with, the wine will only show more of the flaw over time. Wines with high residual sugar will age if they have balanced acidity. Without acids, the residual sugar will make for an odd wine after aging.

Alcohol levels in wine must also be balanced. When I taste a wine, I feel the burn in the back of my throat, if the alcohol is not balanced. Alcohol does not change in wine over time either, so just like acid, it must be in balance.

Tannin is that astringent feeling you get on your gums, after swirling the wine in your mouth. Tannins come from the skins, seeds and even oak aging. We don’t associate white wines with tannins (except from extensive oak aging), but for red wines, it is one of the components that allows the wine to age well. Some tannins are “green” or even gritty. Unfortunately, these types of tannins rarely age well, and actually only get more concentrated. I look for ripe tannins, that will mellow over time, and contribute to a smooth mouthfeel.

 In general, red wines with high acidity (such as Pinot noir and Sangiovese) have a greater capability of aging. Additionally, red wines, a high level tannins (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Syrah), will usually be wines will stand the test of time. The white wines with the best aging potential tend to be those with a high amount of acidity (Chenin Blanc, Riesling). The acidity in white wines plays a similar role that tannins have with red wines in acting as a preservative.

As red wine ages, the red color will eventually fade to a light brick red, and ultimately brown. White wines will also move towards golden, then brown. These changes occur due to the chemical and oxygen reactions of the phenolic compounds in the wine.

When I taste a wine, I am looking for concentration of flavors and aroma. If it’s not there in the beginning, it will probably never improve. As a wine begins to age,  the aromas will change to a bouquet. Where we tasted fruit in the young wine, now we might taste something more complex, with notes of dried fruit, and earth. The finish will be long and pleasant. However, there will come a point when the wine has reached is “prime” or “peak”, and will not improve any further. It will actually decay, and die in the bottle. The challenge is to try to hold a wine until it’s peak, and no further. There is no set formula for figuring this out, and for that reason, I purchase numerous bottles, and start tasting when I have guessed the optimum aging time (also you can check sites like www.cellartracker.com, and read the notes of other tasters).

In the end, balance is the key. An unbalanced wine won’t age well. When you find a wine that is balanced with great intensity of all the key factors, that is the wine you want to age. The timing, though, is at best guess, and comes with a lot of trial and error. And, of course, it should go without saying....make sure you store the wine properly.