Why wines need to breathe

This process aerates the wine in its entirety. You want the wine—all of it—to breathe or be exposed to air. This is the way to do it. Decanting wine serves a dual purpose. White wines rarely produce sediment, but older reds and vintage ports continue to produce it as they age. Stirred up, those sediments can insert a bitter flavor and gritty texture to the wine. Young red wines can be high in tannins. However, just about every wine will improve with some aeration, whether in a decanter or through a quick swirl in the glass.

So how much time does a wine need to breathe? The answer is…it depends. This applies to most wines with similar structure and concentration. But, for an easy-drinking New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc , something that is fresh, zippy and full of aromatic citrus fruit, an hour of breathing may dull the qualities that give the wine its character. However, a few swirls and a bit of time to breathe in the glass will usually help reductive or sulfur-related aromas blow off the wine.

Thank You! We've received your email address, and soon you will start getting exclusive offers and news from Wine Enthusiast. Just like a sommelier at a restaurant , pour a small sample to test the nose and palate before you commit to a full glass.

Some wines may have some reductive or sulfur notes, which come across most notably as aromas of rubber, burnt matches or rotten eggs. Often, these aromas will dissipate after 10—15 minutes. You may opt for a decanter, but it could be simpler to pour a small glass and swirl away to see if those odors fade. Allowing them to breathe too long can overly soften their opulent nature.

Still, most young, tannic reds can benefit from some aggressive swirling and 10—20 minutes in the glass. If decanting a wine, Robert said that he would allow it to sit in the decanter for around one hour, on average.

Perhaps you have also noticed this yourself. As mentioned above, it is commonly asserted that aerating some wines — particularly bolder reds — can help to soften tannins and release fruit flavours. In , an article in the Journal of Agricultural Chemistry found evidence that ethanol evaporates once a wine has been poured into the glass, slightly lowering the abv content.

It said this was strongly influenced by exposure to air. He said that decanting accelerates the breathing process by encouraging volatile aromas to evaporate and emphasising fruit and oak aromas.