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DEL.ICIO.USDeconstructing Decanting
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At dinner the other night friends were talking about the latest “trend” they’ve seen at dinner parties — decanting wine. Seems folks are turned on by turning their wines out into glass decanters before serving. My friends even mentioned that one couple “blended” their own wine at the table, adding a little bit of a more medium bodied-red to a full-bodied red to “round it out.”
I have to say I was pretty aghast at the latter — I think perhaps the “blending” should best be left to the vintner.
We ordered a Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf du Pape 2004 — a big, full-bodied, slightly jammy red that could have easily been decanted to allow it to breathe, but I find it more interesting in a younger wine to allow that to happen in the glass, unless, as is the case with many young Italian reds, the nose is heavy with petroleum until it’s opened up a bit.
Decanting is generally done to 1) separate the wine from sediment that may have occurred during the wine’s aging, or 2) to allow a “tight” wine to breathe. Lately I’ve noticed several dining rooms decanting wines left and right willy nilly. Ugh. Is the decanter becoming the peppermill of the double 0s? Are we soon to have every red we order decanted whether it needs it or not? Don’t get me wrong — it’s wonderful when a waiter knows when and how to decant.
Who’s experienced this at local restaurants? Do you like it? Or do you think it’s a perceived value-added fad?
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Comments
By jr
January 21, 2008 1:58 PM | Link to this
Decanting wine is best for older full bodied wine for two reasons. Seprate the sedement and open up the bouquet of the wine here the wine is said to open up to its fullest as it comes in contact with air hence the term allow the wine to breathe. In a restauraunt if they decanted a very young wine i would consider it ignorant, pretencious and unnecessary. I do agree blending best be left to the vintner but just as it has been said “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” let the drinker enjoy his wine i guess he has just made his own tapestry wine. To each his own, bon appetit.
By Mike
January 21, 2008 2:28 PM | Link to this
Peppermills are a somewhat silly tradition. I met one expatriate hippy that laughed off the practice as an example of why he left the U.S. On the other hand, you will offend some guests by not offering to crack their pepper.
Most red wines served in restaurants gain something through decanting and even some whites. Yes, it is also a stab at the value-added service that restaurants seek to provide. We don’t decant every red wine, but we do offer the opportunity a good bit.
Bottled water service may be bad for the environment; cracked pepper may ruin the soup; blending your own wine might be dubious. The opportunity to cause harm is limited when it comes to decanting.