It is a well-known fact that wines benefit from aeration.
Aeration is the process that allows wine to 'breathe' by allowing air and wine to mingle. This allows the tannins in the wine to soften as well as improves the flavors and aromas in the wine. In the past, people would just open a bottle of wine and wait a while to drink it. But the wait was usually a long while.
People at this time were also decanting their wines to separate the sediments from the wine that can collect in the bottles from the wine making process, or from aging the wine in a cellar. They soon noticed that wine that was decanted took less time to 'breathe'.
This is how decanting became known for aerating wine (instead of just isolating the sediments). However, even though decanting was faster, it still could take up to an hour wait to enjoy your wine at its peak flavor.
To confuse things further, not all wines need aeration to express the flavor and aroma that the winemaker intended. With so many wine types out there, how do you know when you need to aerate your wine?
I'll review this question in detail in my next blog post. Stop back by soon. Until then... Cheers!
Aervana
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