You may have seen Mr Carson, the impressive butler from Downton Abbey, pour out the Earl of Grantham’s wines into cut crystal decanters before the family meals. Today, most people aren’t as particular about decanting their wine, but there are some instance when it really does help the process.
If the wine is old and has developed sediments, then pouring it into the decanter rids it of those. The process also helps the wine breathe, letting more air into it than the narrow neck of the wine bottle might otherwise allow.
Wine experts recommend that you pour the wine into the decanter slowly, drinking immediately, or allowing it to sit for at least 15 minutes. Some even recommend double decanting — pouring the wine from the bottle into the decanter, rinsing out the bottle thoroughly with water to remove any traces of sediment and then pouring the wine back into it from the decanter. This also allows a lot more oxygen to get into the wine.
A wide-bottomed decanter is recommended — it’s not easy to tip over on the dinner table, and it allows the wine to be swirled around gently.
