Preferred process for approaching a new wine (decanting, aerating, and more)

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vedder50

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With some of the recent discussions in the Nice Wines thread, it was clear that people take very different approaches to opening a bottle. Not simply drink vs aerate vs decant, but things like how long to decant, and how many nights to drink the wine over. Some threads you'll see 1 post damning a wine, while another post indicates that by the 3rd night it became a winner.

I was interested in hearing about the process that others take with a new wine they are not familiar with. Not the merits of decanting vs aerating, but more how to you approach a new wine to try to get to the point that it 'opens up' or to the point where you think you are getting the best the wine has to offer? I'd be more interested in the scope of younger wines (e.g. lets say less than 5 years old). For example, some questions that come to mind:


  • Is there an interval of time that you taste once decanted (e.g. every hour) to determine changes?
  • If you are saving an opened bottle for night 2, what is your process (e.g. continue to decant overnight? reseal and fridge?)
  • Other?

I'm sure a lot of people have an exact process they work through with any new wine, however basic (e.g. open and drink) to more structured, and I'd be interested to hear the different approaches.
 
I run through the same procedure with most of my wines:

Pour small amount in glass, sample with sniffing, small taste, swirl (be a wine wanker as my wife says). Then run another small amount through an aerator and see if there is a noticeable difference in the aroma or the taste. If there is a noticeable improvement, or if the wine opens with the aerator then I will dump the rest of the bottle in a decanter and enjoy, if not then I will normally just leave it in the bottle and seal.

Having a bottle for the second night only happens in my house by chance, I don't consciously open a bottle, then leave it for 24 hours. When I open a bottle, it's because I want to enjoy it now, and that normally means it's all gone before it gets to 24 hours open. On the odd occasion this does happen though, I see it as a nice little surprise, but I wont go out of my way to do it.

Disclaimer: In no way am I anything other than a casual consumer of wine.
 
Before even opening, I'll read reviews on cellartracker to get some idea based on other people's experiences.

I'll generally have a good idea whether the wine needs to sit for a period of time or not and hence open in advance accordingly and decant.

I'll always open, pour a bit and check for faults. Run back into the cellar if faulty while cursing :)

Then into the decanter, usually pour a bit more into the glass and away we go.

If I know in advance I won't be finishing the wine that night, I'll pour half into an empty 375ml bottle, suck out the air with a vacuum pump and into the fridge.

Most wine isn't going to fall over in a decanter quickly. The only wine I'd be concerned about is seriously old red Burgundy. I'd decant and drink straight away.

Personally, I don't believe in the various aerating tools. I've played around with them with younger wines and tested blind and found not noticeable difference.
 
Before even opening, I'll read reviews on cellartracker to get some idea based on other people's experiences.

Agreed...seems to be the best way to read up on others experiences prior to purchasing and prior to drinking.

I would have wasted a LOT of money on wine pre internet...
 
Anyone here use turn decanters? Been thinking about picking one up, but do they get the same results as the traditional decanters?
 
Anyone here use turn decanters? Been thinking about picking one up, but do they get the same results as the traditional decanters?

Hadn't heard of such a thing, but after a quick Google I realise I've seen them. Looks like a gimmick to me. How is it any different to just swirling the wine in a regular decanter? In fact, seeing the video of it in use, I'd actually question how much the surface area of the wine is actually mixing around with the rest.

Having said that, they do look aesthetically pleasing.
 
Anyone here use turn decanters? Been thinking about picking one up, but do they get the same results as the traditional decanters?
Yep we use that as our go to decanter - we use it for several reasons:
1. Aesthetics
2. Useability - it just feels easier in hand and pours exceptionally well
3. Nostalgia - let me explain

In 1997 (I think - not 100% sure of year) a group of us visited the Coonawarra region - we stayed in Penola in a huge old house called Miss Thompsons. We hired bikes and pedalled to Coonawara (14km) first day and did all the wineries on western side of Riddoch Hwy on way out then pedalled back to Penola. Next day we pedalled out to Coonawarra and did all the wineries on eastern side of Riddoch Hwy on way back to Penola - thus not requiring to actually cross Hwy at any time.

We visited the newly opened Punters Corner winery in their spanking new tasting room. They actually had a special opening ceremony on that day of which we were totally unaware. So during tastings they mentioned that their pianist who was to provide music for the day had not fronted - Cruiserette volunteered to play for a bit and about an hour and half later she decided she had played enough and we were going to head off Punters Corner Management gave her a 'turn decanter' to say thank you for sharing her musical talents - we still use that decanter to this day.

Cruiserette still claims it was her music - and her music alone - which had the positive affect on grape growth that would see Punters Corner snare the Jimmy Watson in 2000 with their Spartacus. To answer OP's question - works perfectly iMHO.
 
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Hmmm.. I'm somewhat bogancentrically boring in this company I suspect..

I decide what I will drink , rip off it's head , slop a bit into the glass , have a sniff and down the gurgler.

My spin is that it is just wine , not my wife's wedding anniversary.

Yes it varies with how I feel , what I am eating, and perhaps the phase of the moon, but I refuse to be seduced by attention demanding ancillary treatments
If it needs a whole lot of preparation , lubrication , titillation … :) ….to impress me… I'm probably not it's intended customer.

The wine stands on it's own feet in the vehicle in which it arrived.. it's either good great or cough to this beholder.
 
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