Wine Tasting Notes: Aerating for Better Taste
In order to get the full flavor from any wine it should be given the chance to breathe. If not the wine will not meet it’s maximum potential. The wine will mingle with the natural air. This will warm the wine ever so slightly, will allowing the aroma to “open” up. The wine will mellow and soften a little. This will allow you to enjoy all of the characteristics that the wine has to offer.
The heavier wines, such as the reds, are heavier in tannins and take a longer period of exposure. Normally 15 to 20 minutes.
Do not be fooled into thinking that just taking the cork out of the bottle is all that is needed. There simply is not enough room for the exposure needed to take place. There are a couple of ways to insure that it gets the exposure needed.
The first is the wine glass method. You simply pour the wine into the glasses before you intend to drink it. Allow time for the wine to be exposed to the air. This is probably effective enough for most people. While pouring the wine aim for the center of the glass at a height of about 6 to 10 inches. This will give even more opportunity for the wine to breathe.
The second method would involve the use of a decanter. Of course this is the preferred method. The decanter has a shape that was designed to give the wine the maximum benefit from the breathing process.
Just make note that when wine tasting, you want to get the best that a bottle of wine has to offer. Do not be in a hurry. The wine has spent a lot of time in the bottle during the aging process. You would be wasting the wine if you do not enjoy it properly.
For more information on wine tasting take a look at our Wine Tasting Guide.
