Cellar notes: Decanting

When a bottle of wine is opened, a vast array of complex chemical reactions takes place. The primary reaction is the inundation of the wine by our oxygen-rich air.

The oxygen helps initiate a process that reignites the break up of tannins. The reaction causes the alcohol to consume the remaining fruit in the wine, leading ultimately to the formation of a fine vinegar.

The reasons, rationale and methods of decanting wine from ...