Benefits of Aerated Wine To produce a desirable, aromatic flavorful wine, it goes through aeration, which is a process by which air is circulated through, mixed with or dissolved in a liquid, like wine, to evaporate the volatile undesirable components, allowing the desirable components to remain in the wine. There are two chemical reactions that take place when you aerate a wine and these are the oxidation process, which takes place when something is exposed to oxygen, and evaporation process, which is a process of a liquid turning into a vapor and escaping into the air. The oldest and most frequently used aerators are decanters, which are mostly made from glass and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, and wine is aerated by just leaving it in the decanter for 15-20 minutes, although the time it takes will depend on the type of wine. Aeration can also be done by just opening a bottle of wine, although it takes a lot longer for the process to take place due to the narrow head of the bottle, thereby, restricting the wines access to oxygen. Aerating wine can also be done through aerator gadgets, which have patented designs, but the principle method is similar, which is forcing the wine through a funnel that enables a pressurized force of oxygen to interact with it; the result is instant aeration.
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Not all wines need to be aerated, since the process can actually ruin the complexity of some wines and destroy their flavor profile; however, young red wines with a heavy tannin base or red wines with complex and bold structure or old aged wines are perfect for decanting.
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Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Bordeaux, Montepulciano, etc, are examples of young red wines, which are known for their high tannic profiles, and they are slightly aerated to allow the tannins to mellow a bit, softening the wine’s harsh edges and making it a more pleasant drinking experience that isn’t overpowered by a tannic punch. Red wines are commonly aged and, after some time, various elements in the wine, such as tannins and other components, begin to bind together, solidify, and sit as sediments on the wine bottle, which occurs between eight and ten years of aging, and the sediments taste bitter; that’s why in decanting, pour the wine slowly so as not to agitate the sediments on the bottom of the wine bottle. To achieve that dry, full-bodied taste in white wines, some go to the process of aeration, like Burgundy, white Bordeaux, Corton-Charlemagne, Alsace. For wines that are aged for around twenty and above years, like vintage port wines, the duration of aging time has built up sediments in the bottles, so that by putting these wines through the decantation process will help expose its flavorful taste.
