Is decanting wine necessary?  There are hundreds of lovely wine decanters out there, and you might think they look great on the dinner table.  But do you really need a wine decanter?

Actually, decanting wine is really on necessary when there is heavy sediment at the bottom of the bottle.  This usually occurs when the wine is very old.   If the wine has been laying on its side (which is should be) then you might want to stand it for a day or so before consuming.  This should let any sediment settle.

If your wine is not very old and somewhat inexpensive, there probably isn't a need to decant.  However, it certainly cannot hurt.  If you plan to consume it in a short period of time and prefer the look of a nice wine decanter (versus the bottle), then go ahead and pour away!

Remember, don't leave older (and more expensive) wines exposed to the air for too long - they might end up losing all of their flavor. And isn't that the point of buying a great wine?

CHEERS!!  AWineBoutique.com