When should you decant wine?
Aerating a young wine and separating old sediment serve different purposes.
01
Taste first: an open wine may need nothing.
02
A tight young red may open with air; check it as it changes.
03
For an older wine with sediment, pour slowly and stop before sediment reaches the neck.
04
A decanter can separate sediment or add air; these are different aims. For a fragile wine, pour gently and taste regularly: long aeration is not always helpful.
