Letting wine breathe

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I've always heard that many red wines need to "breathe". I guessed breathing made the wine taste better.

But I've just seen people uncork the bottle and let it sit there for a bit.

I figured the wine would "breathe better" if I poured it into a GLASS and let it sit there for a bit. More air for more wine to breathe, you know?

I finally Googled, and damn, if this wine-dummy isn't right!

Wonder why some people think breathing means uncorking and letting it sit?

Lee
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
You could use one of these.

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Vinturi-6700-Essential-Wine-Aerator/dp/B000UPOJ5W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1285986050&sr=8-1[/ame]
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Yes, yes, I could, Andy.

It would look nice next to my Salad Shooter. ;)

Lee
 

buckytom

Grill Master
a glass?

you don't want the wine to hyperventilate! it should breathe gently, to become flacid, yet not overwhelming.













:thumb: lololol. j/k.

i thought the best way was to decant it just before serving, thus controlling the exposure for just a minute or two.
 

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
Aged wines in their prime require little to no breathing. Neither does Boone's Farm. :yum:
 

SilverSage

Resident Crone


I tried wine from that thing. Several months ago, I was in Total Wine and they were having a tasting to try to sell those things for 30 or 40 bucks apiece. They had several wines open, and you selected one. You were given a small glass of the wine from the bottle, and then a small glass of wine poured through the aerator. You could see the wine bubbling just like cold liquid hitting a hot pan. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference when I tasted it.

It looked really cool. Do it in front of guests, and I'd bet they all go ooooh and aaaaah. But I'd rather spend the $40 on some real good ingredients (or a better bottle of wine)!
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
MY DIL to be and stepson have one of those.

My current preference is for two fingers of JD over ice. It doesn't need to be aerated either. LOL
 

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
If I'm so inclined, I prefer to decant the wine. The decanter probably cost more than the image above...but it's pretty and not so mechanical looking.
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
I use one of these.

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Nachtmann-59518-Vivendi-Wine-Decanter/dp/B0017U494A/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1286063274&sr=1-5[/ame]

It's specifically designed for red wine to increase the surface area of the wine that is exposed to oxygen at one time. And it looks cool too! :wink:
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
This whole decanter business is news to me!

I thought they were just pretty vessels to pour wine for guests, so that the guests wouldn't see the bottles.

Well, I'll be.

Lee
 

FooD

New member
Those large surface area decanters look nice.....there were several different ones. I need to get one so my cheap ass Trader Joe wine can be served with a little elegance, taste better, and no one would know it's a $4 bottle of merlot they're enjoying.
This will be my next cool toy from Amazon.
 

waybomb

Well-known member
Those large surface area decanters look nice.....there were several different ones. I need to get one so my cheap ass Trader Joe wine can be served with a little elegance, taste better, and no one would know it's a $4 bottle of merlot they're enjoying.
This will be my next cool toy from Amazon.

Pier 1 has decanters for 20 bucks.
 

High Cheese

Saucier
If I'm so inclined, I prefer to decant the wine. The decanter probably cost more than the image above...but it's pretty and not so mechanical looking.

I use one of these.

http://www.amazon.com/Nachtmann-595...5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1286063274&sr=1-5

It's specifically designed for red wine to increase the surface area of the wine that is exposed to oxygen at one time. And it looks cool too! :wink:

+1

Lee, test out the theory. Open a $15-20 bottle of Cab and take a sip. Pour another 2-3 ounces into your glass and let it sit on the counter for say 10-15 minutes and take another sip. You should find that the initial 'bite' is gone and the wine is as it should be, nice and smooth.

If you don't have a decanter you can just open the bottle an hour or so before consumption, you can decant into anything then rebottle, or decant into a wine glass by slowly pouring to the side of the glass like a beer.
 

bigjim

Mess Cook
Super Site Supporter
One of the reasons for decanting older wines is to avoid the dregs at the bottom of the bottle. Let the bottle sit upright for an hour or so, then decant, leaving the sediment in the bottle.
Those wide bottom decanters are often called ships decanters. The story goes that they prevented the bottle from tipping as the mass is lower and the base wider.
IMO, the best way to improve the taste of wine is to use the proper glass for the wine. I am a big fan of Reidel. They do make a difference. So does letting a wine rest in the glass for a few minutes.
 
K

Kimchee

Guest
So does my Gallo gallon of Sweet Red Table Wine need to breathe?
;) ;) ;)
 

mrpasta

New member
after i smell the cork i let it breath while i gently twirl it in my glass then i will take an amount not to large and gargle it for taste if i approve i will smile accompanied with a nod this will alert the server to fill the glass and keep them coming
 

buckytom

Grill Master
the funny thing about smelling a cork, or tasting a sip of wine of a bottle that you've ordered in a restaurant is that you shouldn't feel snooty or that you're showing off you oenophilic expertise by doing this.

it's rare, but once in a while a bottle gets corked badly and it spoils. you never know until it's opened, so it's no different than being given a sample of sliced ham at the deli counter to check it's qualities.

unless you watch too much "spartacus", you should hope there's no slaves nor waitstaff sampling your food first.
 
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