Wine aeration refers to allowing the wine to breathe. Before you drink the wine, it is exposed to oxygen. This softens tannins and releases aromas. Some individuals decant the wine to allow it to breathe (simply opening the wine bottle will not help that much since the opening on the neck is too small to allow enough air in). However, other people just prefer to swirl the wine inside their wine glass. It is highly recommended that you use a Bordeaux glass to do that.
Wine Aeration – Is Aerating Wine Really Necessary?
If wine is something you are really serious about, then buying a wine aerator is a good idea. It does the aeration for you and helps to speed the process up. In this guide on how to aerate wine, we will be covering what wine aerators are, what they do, whether they work or not, whether or not your wine should be aerated, how long the aeration process should last, and the kinds of wines where aeration is beneficial.
Is It Necessary To Aerate Wine?
That depends on the type of wine it is. The first thing you should do is research the wine – how it is supposed to taste and its character. Aeration is typically most beneficial for full-bodied, young red wines. However, other types of wine can benefit from aeration as well. Also, double decanting is beneficial for some younger wines. This involves pouring wine into a decanter and returned to the bottle.
Old vintage wines, on the other hand, are frequently too fragile to benefit from aeration since they lose their fruity aromas faster. Sometimes aeration causes white wines to lose their fruity intensity, and there are no tannins to soften. Wines that are less complex and designed to be consumed immediately will not be improved at all by aeration.
You might want to do a taste test – try out a small amount of wine without aeration (swirl it around in your glass) and with aeration and see if you are able to notice a significant difference. Experiment with aeration if the wine has a really overpowering taste straight out of the bottle.
The decision of whether to aerate or not ultimately comes down to your personal taste. If you enjoy the characteristics of a specific grape, for example, then immediate consumption is something you might prefer instead of letting these qualities change through the aeration process.
How long should red wine be aerated?
The general rule is that the more tannic and younger wine is, the longer it needs to have time to breathe. Older wines are more sensitive to the aeration process. If you plan to decant a wine, let it sit inside a decanter (a glass bottle with a large bottom) for about one hour.
There are also different decanting methods for aeration. Maximal oxygenating decanting involves pouring quickly to the bottom of a decanter which causes splashback, meaning there is more contact with the surrounding air. Minimal oxygenation decants involves the wine running down the side of the decanter.
If you aerate inside your wine glass, blow on the wine surface, placing one hand over the top part of the glass, and then vigorously shake the glass.
There are also some people who swear by the process of wine being poured into a food processor or blender, then putting it at high speed to taste or for 15-20 seconds.
These days, however, due to advances in technology, wine funnels, pour-throughs, and purpose-made wine aerators are available in the market, making the process less messy, faster, and simpler.
What are wine aerators?
Wine aerators are machines that are designed to speed the aeration process up. You won’t have to decan and then wait for hours and hours for your wine to finally open up. Usually, a wine aerator is handheld and may be used with either a decanter or another type of vessel or as a wine pourer or a bottle stopper.
What do wine aerators do?
Wine aerators provide the wine with maximum air exposure, which speeds the aeration process up. There are many aerators that allow the wine to be directly poured from the bottle into the glass. Wine filters and funnels are also available. They push the liquid to the side of the decanter while it is being poured, allowing more air to get inside the wine. The funnels also can help to remove bits of cork and sediment.
Do wine aerators actually work?
There is debate about whether or not aeration makes a significant difference. It will really depend on your palate and the wine. Some people are able to tell how the character of wine changes over time in the glass or after several days of the bottle being uncorked.
From a scientific standpoint, sulfites and ethanol evaporate after the wine is poured inside the glass. This lowers the abv content slightly, and the reaction is influenced by the wine being exposed to air.
From a scientific standpoint, sulfites and ethanol evaporate after the wine is poured inside the glass. This lowers the abv content slightly, and the reaction is influenced by the wine being exposed to air.
The first compounds that evaporate are sulfite and ethanol since they are the most unstable. Both of them play important roles in wine production (ethanol provides the wine with alcohol content, and sulfites prevent overoxidation and control microbes. Some molecules stay in the wine, and aeration can be used to remove them.
It is also claimed by both experts and critics that letting the wine breathe reduces reductive aroma concentration – like a sulfur-like or burning odour – emphasizing the oak and fruity aromas that are a lot more preferable to the palate.