Wine Tips & Tricks
The Ultimate Guide to Decanting Wines
Decanting is not just a bit of theatre for expensive red wine. Used well, it can soften a young red, separate an older wine from its sediment and even help a rich white wine become more expressive.
The important part is knowing why you are decanting. A powerful young Shiraz may enjoy hours of air, while a delicate mature Cabernet might need only a careful pour and a short rest. Here is how to get it right.
Young Red Wine
Open it up
Give firm tannins and restrained aromas time to soften and become more expressive.
Older Wine
Remove sediment
Pour gently and limit the air exposure so a mature wine keeps its delicate character.
White Wine
Reveal more texture
Rich, full-bodied whites can gain aroma, complexity and shape from a little air.
Young Wines
Give a youthful wine room to breathe
Young, robust reds – particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec and other firmly structured styles – can seem tight or closed when first opened. Pouring the wine into a decanter increases its contact with oxygen, helping tannins feel softer and the different flavours come together.
Air can also release aromas that were initially hiding in the glass. Fruit, flowers, spice and oak may become clearer, turning a bold but slightly brash wine into something more layered and inviting.
Recommended time: Start with about one hour and taste as you go. A powerful young red may continue improving for two to three hours.
White Wines
Yes, you can decant white wine
Full-bodied white wines, particularly oaked Chardonnay, can benefit from air just as much as some reds. Decanting can reveal more aroma, texture and complexity, especially when a wine seems restrained immediately after opening.
It can also help a white wine warm gently from refrigerator temperature. Rich Chardonnay often shows far more character around 10–12°C than it does when served icy cold.
Recommended time: Try 20 to 30 minutes first. A particularly rich or youthful white may benefit from up to an hour.
Older Wines
Decant gently and for a different reason
The main reason to decant an older wine is usually to separate the clear wine from the sediment that naturally develops during bottle ageing. There is nothing harmful about sediment, but it can make the final glass gritty and bitter.
Stand the bottle upright for several hours, or ideally the day before opening, so the sediment settles at the bottom. Pour slowly into a clean decanter and stop when you see sediment approaching the bottle’s shoulder or neck. Holding a light beneath the neck can make this easier to see.
Mature wine can be fragile, so more air is not necessarily better. Taste it soon after opening and avoid leaving it in a broad decanter for hours. A narrow decanter is generally the safer choice because it limits the wine’s surface exposure.
Recommended time: Serve shortly after decanting or allow around 30 minutes if the wine still needs to open. Let the wine, not the clock, make the final decision.
Choosing a Decanter
Shape matters
- Wide base: creates more surface area and faster aeration, making it ideal for young, powerful wines.
- Narrow base: exposes the wine more gently and is a better choice for delicate, mature bottles.
- Easy to clean: an elegant decanter is not much use if its shape makes it impossible to rinse and dry properly.
- No decanter? A clean glass jug can still do the job. The wine cares more about the air than the price of the vessel.
Serving Temperature
Do not forget the temperature
Decanting does not fix a wine that is being served at the wrong temperature. Most fuller reds show best around 16–18°C, which is cooler than the average Perth room for much of the year.
Rich white wines are usually best cool rather than ice-cold. An oaked Chardonnay around 10–12°C can show much more aroma and texture than the same wine poured straight from a very cold fridge.
A Practical Guide
How to decant wine
- Prepare the bottle: Stand an older wine upright in advance so its sediment can settle.
- Open and taste: Try the wine first. This gives you a starting point and helps determine how much air it needs.
- Pour appropriately: Pour a young wine confidently to encourage aeration; pour an older wine slowly and steadily to leave sediment behind.
- Check the temperature: Keep fuller reds around 16–18°C and richer whites around 10–12°C.
- Taste as it develops: There is no universal decanting time. Check the wine periodically and serve it when it tastes most balanced and expressive.
Pro Decanting Tip
Put it back in the bottle
If the wine has reached the point where you love how it tastes but you are not ready to serve it, use a clean funnel to pour it back into the bottle. This is known as double decanting. It reduces the wine’s ongoing exposure to oxygen, makes serving easier and lets you keep the original bottle on the table.
It will not stop the wine developing completely, so keep tasting. That is part of the fun, and it is far more reliable than treating a suggested time as an unbreakable rule.
Get more from every bottle
Explore Wine Glassware & More Practical Guides
The right decanter, serving temperature and glass can help a good bottle show its best. Explore the Plumm glassware range or find more straightforward wine advice from Partners in Wine WA.
