Spain
United Kingdom
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Spain
United Kingdom
Rest of the world
Surely you have sometimes wondered if you had to decant a wine or not, and what is the right way to do it. From Bodegas Beronia, we want to answer some of your questions about decanting wine.
What is decanting?
Decanting wine is to transfer the wine from a bottle to another container, typically a glass decanter. It is not always necessary to decant a wine, it depends on the type and age of the wine.
Why we decant wine?
There are several reasons why you should decant a wine.
The first is to remove sediments. Solid particles which are usually found in the wines of a long ageing. These are not defects or harmful, however particles that have been produced during the fermentation.
The second reason is to aerate the wine. If the wine has been a long time in bottle it may have an unpleasant odor. Again this does not indicate that the wine is in bad conditions, only that it has suffered from a lack of oxygen. When decanting the wine is in contact with oxygen, aerating it. Decant carefully so as not to produce the opposite effect. It is best to first serve a glass of wine and let it air for a few minutes. If the aromas improve, then we can decant the rest of the bottle.
The third reason is to open the wine. If it is a young wine it may not have such an intense aroma, decanting it will help wine to open.
What wine should be decanted?
We should decant wines that have been stored for a long time as they can accumulate a larger amount of sediment. Also the young wines that are very astringent and with lots of tannins to oxygenate and thus soften. Normally white wines do not need to be decanted.
How to decant?
How to decant the wine depends on the type of wine.
If it is a Reserva or Gran Reserva that have spent much time in bottle, we must place the bottle vertically for a few days so that all the possible sediment will go to the bottom of the bottle by gravity. Following this, we can open the bottle and pour slowly and without interruption into the wine decanter. It has to be done carefully and by pouring the wine down the sides of the decanter. If you decant the wine in a well lit area, you can see the sediment at the bottom of the bottle and thus control that it does not fall into the decanter. It is advisable to leave some wine in the bottle with the sediment. Once the wine is in the decanter you should leave standing for a few minutes.
If it is a young wine, it is not necessary to lay the bottle vertically first as it will not have sediment.
If you want to know more about the wines of Bodegas Beronia, you can visit our cellar in Ollauri, La Rioja Alta. Book your visit here:
