Everything about the wine service

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Decanter or not settling is an often asked question, and there is a wide variety of opinions on the subject. When ordering certain bottles in specific establishments, a sommelier can automatically arrive at the table with a functional but decorative crystal decanter, while on other occasions, you may have to ask for this bumps in service. Carafe are certainly not only to eat outside; We have a few and use them regularly with many different styles of wine. We talked about with experts in the field to determine which wines need decantation, which does not do it and what a decanter style is the best to have.

When settling

“No wines requires a decantation,” said Dave Rudman, a newly struck partner and general manager of the New York International Wine Center. That said, Rudman explains the three cases in which we would decade a wine. The first is to deliberately allow a wine to be in contact with oxygen. “This is done with young wines to allow them to release their aromas,” he says. The second is to separate a wine from all the sediments in the bottle. “This is done mainly with older red wines, because over time, harmless but unpleasant sediments will fall from wine and rest in the bottle,” he adds. Apparently not a fan of the decisses in general, Rudman postulates that the third use for them is “for aesthetic or staging”, which is a controversial point of view.

Science behind the decantation

We often hear about “letting a wine breathe”, a process that introduces oxygen and accelerates the evaporation of volatile compounds, according to food scientists Heather Hyung Chang and Anthony Clark. “For elderly wines that contain small amounts of negative sensory compounds, the decantation allows the ventilation of wine to explode mold notes and metal acids, mercaptans and volatile acids,” explains Chang. In addition to purifying the smell of wine, it changes our sensory perception of wine. “While these off -putting smells are fading, the most delicate aromatic elements are gaining importance, creating a cleaner and more welcoming aroma experience,” explains Clark.

At the same time, oxygenation takes place; While wine interacts with oxygen in the atmosphere, “it undergoes a transformation which modifies its chemical composition”, explains Chang, which “facilitates the degradation of certain compounds, softening of tannins and releasing various aromatic molecules”. At the same time, fruity esters such as ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate are released, which improves the aroma of wine. Meanwhile, exposure to oxygen encourages tannins in red wines to be binded, a process called polymerization. “This chemical reaction can cause the feeling of a smoother palace, contributing to an overall experience of improved mouth,” said Clark.

Decan older wines

One of the reasons why many older wines we drink are still as well is that they “have been built to last,” explains Alex Cuper, director of wine at Chicago Che and brazier. These wines are seated on the skin longer, have enough time to absorb tannins derived from barrels and have higher acidity and alcohol. “Allowing more surface allows these components to relax and integrate into wine, which gives it a more balanced feeling and overall bar,” he says. “Alcohol has a chance to evaporate allowing the fruits to show more and to integrate into the tannin and the pH of the wine.”

At Pinch Chinese in New York, Director of Drinks Adrienne Cooper is concerned about sediments in older wines as well as the pieces of cork that may have broken. “Most older wines will not benefit from more oxygen, but they may have disintegrated bits of cork or tartrates in the bottle”, which can be filtered in the decantation process. An additional advantage is the visual effect of the decanter. “This gives everyone the opportunity to see the color of the wine in volume, which will be slightly different in the glass,” she says.

Decan young wines

Although he thinks that a very small percentage of young wines must be decanted, Rudman says that “Any wine worthy of age in the bottle is a candidate for decaning while young people, because fast ventilation does in a few minutes or hours, which the slow oxidation of bottled aging would accomplish over the years.” Luke Boland, director of corporate drinks for the hotel department in New York, uses decisses for very young reds, and it is particular on the method it uses. “In this case, almost a violent and reversed settling to pump as much air in the juice as the sticky of the bottle,” he said, explaining that it will soften the structure a little, especially if the wine feels tight, too tannic or sinister “.

As Kyle Davidson, Director of Corporate Drinks from the Day Off group in Chicago, who operates ROSE Mary And he carciofo, says, the young wines “have all their lives in front of them and we try to bring them to tell their story on an accelerated chronology”. In this spirit, he hopes that during the service of a tannic wine, like the young Barolo, “certain fruits and perfumes will come out to balance” the harder aspects of wine.

White Decalting

Although we often think of the decantation of the reds, all those with whom we have spoken also use the process for whites. Boland will set whites from Germany, Austria, Burgundy, Italy and Spain, because the process “can help” matches, smoke, pistol powder “, the smell that the young white wine can have if it is made in a reducing style.” White wines also benefit from the time spent by dosing on the table, especially if they are served cold and have the opportunity to present themselves at room temperature. Davidson prefers the decancing whites who have spent a little time on the lees or in oak or those who have a viscous and waxy texture, but more than that, he says: “I like not only oxygen but also the progression of the temperature that a decanter offers.”

Bubble decanation

Should you decant champagne? Cooper stresses that although he is currently fashionable to do so, she is not a fan. “Part of the attraction of champagne is these tiny bubbles,” she said, adding “if I pay a wine with bubbles, then I don't want to drink a flat wine.” Rudman says: “Go ahead if you wish. But you will lose your bubbles.” Always diplomatic, Boland will decanse champagne by customer request, but that it must be done slowly, “to preserve bubbles”.

What style of decanter is the best?

Sommeliers turn to practical aspects, forms relatively easy to clean and dry, the basic ratio / landing that does not require two hands or a complete reversal to obtain the last drop, and sizes that do not compromise too many property on the table, which is more a problem in a restaurant than at home. “I love the number of different forms and that they can serve as pieces of art for your home,” explains Cooper, who takes out the pretty for the company but will use a right cylinder if she pours for herself. Cuper likes a carafe with a large round base, “almost like a shape of flying saucer”, because they are easy to pour and are the best to visualize the sediments. Due to the large size of this style, it often uses an amphorae -shaped decanter which offers a good surface and also allows it to remove the sediments. We have spoken to the only person in the world who undoubtedly knows more about the decisses than anyone, Maximilian Riedel, CEO of 11th generation and president of RiedelThe Austrian glassware firm known for its crystalline stem software specific to variety. For those who do not have a vast collection of wines but who want to have a decanter at home, Riedel recommends either the classic Decanter Riedel or the new Fatto A Mano model, which are both “simple to use and easily stored”. He mentions a family friend who runs a restaurant near Kufstein, Austria, who has and uses a collection that includes each model they have produced, which is ashamed of our Miche 10.

Should I decant?

In the end, it's up to you to decide, but having a handful on science and the styles of wine that may need it, it certainly helps. Some of our experts have concerns about older and very delicate wines. However, they will use a decanter if this is what the customer wishes and will normally pay a taste that is not derived first and will see if the customer always feels that he wants to go ahead. “In the end, the art of decantation is a journey that merges psychological pleasure with sensory exploration,” explains Chang. “This transforms the act of drinking into an experience, inviting you to take the time to appreciate the shades and subtle transformations in your glass.” Rudman has a more earth-to-terre view: “There is no doubt that it is more a movement of baller to serve the wine of a Dale chihuly than in a bottle.”

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