Wines are some of the finest alcoholic drinks you can have. People have been cultivating vines for centuries, and wines are inside the mentality of all cultures on earth.
However, fine wines are only marketed in the 20th and 21st centuries. That’s why the need for Sommeliers and particular people who love wines and know all the secrets to make them drinkable for any novice or experienced drinker.
One of the best methods to have your wine reveal all its hidden aromas and flavors would be to aerate it.
Talking about aeration, we mean the action of opening the wine bottle and pouring the wine into a big container to increase the surface that touches the air.
Let’s learn more about this process and how it could benefit some wines more than others.
Why Do We Aerate Wines?
The reason to aerate wines is to have the best evaporation of the substances that give taste and aromas to your wine. To do so, there is the need to increase the surface of air that gets in direct touch with your wine.
That cannot happen within the wine glass bottle since the opening is small, and only a limited air quantity can pass through it. Not to mention that it will touch only a small surface of the wine substance leaving all the rest with hidden aromas inside.
Red Wines are a Lot More in Need of Aeration
As a general rule, red wines need aeration a lot more than any other type. That happens because of the tannins that red wines have in their substance. These small particles keep all the flavor and aromas inside them.
So you need to extract the red wine from the bottle and place it in a large pitcher. There the air can touch more than two-thirds of the wine surface. The more the air touches the red wine, the more the tannins come to the surface and start getting warmer and evaporate.
It’s all you need to feel the evaporation steams in your nose and have the best taste experience while you drink your favorite red wine.
Younger White Wines can Also benefit from Aeration
Some white wines are not supposed to be aged. These ones can benefit from being aerated in large pitchers. They usually have fewer and less complex flavors.
That’s why the aeration will help them get liberated at the soonest possible time. To aerate these younger white wines, you need to pour the whole wine into a larger container and ensure you leave it there for at least half an hour to react with the atmospheric air.
Then you can taste the white whine and be sure that the aeration process went well and was successful.
There is Absolutely no Need to Aerate Older White Wines
Older white wines, on the contrary, don’t generally benefit from the aeration process. Every wine that is of high quality could easily pass through the bottle directly to the glass.
That happens because it has already revealed its complexity within the bottle, and the flavors are ready to reach your nose.
However, these wines cannot get into a pitcher for further aeration that could start the oxidization process. When a white wine gets oxidized, it takes a deep yellow color and has an awful taste.
You don’t want this to happen to your $80 white wine bottle that has been here to give you all the aromas without the need for aeration.
Aeration Needs the Decanter Addition to the Wine Bottle
Wine experts and lovers will know that the right way to aerate a red wine is through the decanter device. That is a small glass bulb that you can firmly attach to the tip of the bottle.
After you open the bottle and remove the cork, you can easily insert the decanter. It’s the first place that the red wine can aerate and can give you all the aromas before you pour it into your glass.
Decanter is a must for all people who drink red wine and want to taste its perfection.
You can also Aerate Wines on a Big Wine Pitcher
A big wine pitcher is all you need to have your red wine aerated naturally. Most fancy restaurants have a pitcher to give you more chances to pour the red wine there and start smelling it. The more it stays inside, the better its aromatic substance evaporation.
That’s why you need to always have the most impressive red wines on the list and ask for an aeration pitcher.
It should give you more authority and the same time, allow you to enjoy all that flavor that otherwise could easily go wasted.
Sommelier Can Tell You More Details about when to Aerate your Premium Wines
Finally, it’s not your call whether a red or white wine needs aeration or not. Most restaurants and pubs have a full-time sommelier. He is the person that knows more about fine wines and the best way to preserve and serve them.
For most people talking to a sommelier would be a fantastic experience. They can show you tips on how aerated wines can smell and taste a lot better than others you used to pour directly into the glass.
Asking the sommelier for his honest opinion about when to aerate and which wine should be the best thing to do.
Final Words
Wines that get aerated usually have the highest demand and the most exaggerated price. If you belong to the population part where you can ask more for your money spent, then go for a wine that gets aerated frequently.
It’s better to know more about the wine’s complexity and ensure you have the right aeration tools. People who enjoy dining wine are the ones who love good company and premium food experiences.
Accompanying your food with a premium wine that aeration process can make it even better is the closest you can get to perfection and paradise!
