Riedel Decanters - A Beginner's Guide to Decanting Wine
Andi Healey
Web Manager
Riedel Decanters: A Beginner's Guide to Decanting Wine
Which Wines Should I Decant?
The simple answer: All of them!
Every wine benefits from decanting, though for different reasons:
Young Wines
Why decant: Increases oxygenation, reveals more complexity, opens up aromas and flavours
What happens: Tightly wound tannins soften, closed-off aromas become expressive, flavours develop layers
Examples: Young Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Bordeaux blends, Barolo
Older Wines
Why decant: Removes sediment that has formed over years in bottle
What happens: Clear wine separates from gritty, bitter sediment particles
Examples: Aged Bordeaux, vintage Port, mature Burgundy, aged Rioja
The Aesthetic Factor
Beyond the practical benefits, decanting adds theatre to wine service. The visual beauty of wine cascading into crystal, the ritual of the pour, the elegance of the vessel on your table, all contribute to making wine drinking feel special and decadent.
Bottom line: If you're opening a bottle of wine, you'll improve it by decanting it. The only question is how long.
How Long Should I Decant Wine?
Decanting wine can take as little as 5 minutes to about 4 hours. The action of pouring wine from bottle into decanter does much of the work instantly, but additional time allows further development.
The best way to determine timing: Smell or taste the wine first. However, you can make educated guesses based on varietal characteristics.
Decanting Times by Wine Type
| Wine Type | Decanting Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
High-Tannin, Bold Reds Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Barolo |
About 2 hours | Unless more than 20 years old or already taste superb. These intense, tight wines need time to open |
|
Young Light Reds Pinot Noir, Gamay |
30 minutes to 1 hour | Only if you feel they need it. Taste often to ensure you're not losing flavour |
|
Table Wine Supermarket reds and whites |
Reds: up to 4 hours Whites: 1-2 hours |
Cheap wines withstand longer decanting. Taste test every half hour until it opens up |
|
Rich, Bold Whites Chardonnay, Viognier |
About 1 hour | Helps expression and complexity develop |
|
Light Whites Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc |
Drink immediately or maximum 30 minutes | These delicate wines need minimal exposure |
| Champagne & Sparkling | Under 1 hour | Yes, you can decant Champagne! Reportedly improves taste significantly |
|
Aged, Expensive Wines 20+ years old |
5-15 minutes maximum | Risk of fading fast. Take regular sips to catch the "sweet spot" |
Tricks to Speed Up Decanting
- Double pour: Pour wine once or twice between two decanters (or between decanter and bottle with funnel)
- Swirl vigorously: Swirl wine in decanter to increase the air/wine ratio dramatically
- Be patient: Buy a bottle of Champagne to drink while you wait. Time will fly!
Decanting Cheap Wines and Young Wines
The Budget Wine Revelation
Decanting ANY cheap wine makes it taste better!
This is perhaps the most dramatic transformation you'll witness. Inexpensive wines often have really awkward rotten egg smells when first opened, caused by sulphur dioxide added during winemaking.
Why This Matters
Our noses are extraordinarily sensitive to sulphur compounds, some people more than others. This smell can completely ruin a wine-tasting experience, causing you to dismiss a perfectly drinkable wine as "bad."
The good news: This smell usually disappears very quickly after decanting, giving a genuinely improved result.
The Supermarket Wine Experiment
Try this with your next £7 bottle of red:
- Pour a small taste immediately after opening, note any unpleasant sulphur or "struck match" aromas
- Decant the wine and wait 30 minutes
- Taste again and observe the dramatic transformation
You've just turned a mediocre wine into something genuinely pleasant. For the price of absolutely nothing except a bit of patience.
How Long for Cheap Wines?
Cheap reds: Can withstand up to 4 hours of decanting
Cheap whites: Benefit from 1-2 hours
Technique: Taste test every half hour until the wine starts to open up and those off-putting aromas disappear.
Decanting Expensive and Older Wines
Handle with Care: The Sweet Spot Window
Decanting expensive wines, especially big Cabernet Sauvignons, Italian wines (Barolo, Chianti, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo), Syrah, Malbec, Petite Sirah, will benefit them enormously. However, they often need less time in the decanter than you might think.
The danger: These wines can fade fast. They have a "sweet spot" window, sometimes lasting only minutes, when all elements align perfectly. Excessive decanting can push them past this moment.
The solution: Take regular sips throughout the decanting process to catch them at their peak.
Special Considerations for Older Wines
1. Leave It Upright
Timing: One night before serving
Why: Allows sediment to settle to bottom of bottle
Note: If wine has been stored horizontally (as it should be), this step is essential
2. Warning: Long Corks
Old wines often have very long corks designed to make wine last longer. This creates challenges:
- Ensure your corkscrew is fully inserted in the cork before pulling
- Old corks are extremely delicate and crumble easily
- Work slowly and patiently to remove them
- If cork breaks, don't panic, decanting will filter out any pieces that fall in
3. Decant with Light
Technique: Pour bottle with neck over a candle or torch
What to watch for: A dark line of sediment approaching the spout
When to stop: Before sediment transfers into decanter
Result: Crystal-clear wine, gritty sediment left behind
Remember: Decanters Are Not Varietal-Specific
A decanter's role is to provide an atmosphere outside the bottle and before the glass for wine to breathe and mature. The large surface area and shape facilitate this beautifully.
One quality Riedel decanter serves all your wines superbly. You don't need different decanters for different varietals, though you might want several for aesthetic variety or entertaining multiple guests.
The Science Behind Decanting: What's Actually Happening?
Two Primary Processes
When wine hits the decanter, two distinct chemical processes begin working simultaneously to transform your wine:
1. Evaporation (Happens Instantly)
What evaporates: Sulphur dioxide and other volatile compounds trapped in the sealed bottle
The chemistry: Reactions occurring within a sealed wine bottle produce dihydrogen sulphide, a gas that gets trapped and creates that off-putting smell and taste people associate with "bad" wines.
Why it matters: This stuff is incredibly volatile. Once wine hits the decanter, this gas (and other volatile molecules) is immediately driven off, making room for atmospheric oxygen to enter the wine.
What you notice: That rotten egg or struck match smell disappears, often within minutes
2. Oxidation (Happens Over Hours)
What oxidizes: Complex wine components including tannins, flavour compounds, and aromatic molecules
The chemistry: Oxygen helps oxidize organic molecules, specifically converting aldehydes (which taste and smell horrible) into ketones and esters (which taste and smell delicious).
Fun fact: Jelly Belly flavours are made from complex mixtures of ketones and esters. That's why they taste so distinctive and pleasant!
What you notice: Wine smells and tastes better, becomes more aromatic, develops complexity
This Is When the Real Magic Happens
The breathing process people refer to is literally the oxidation of organic molecules. As oxygen interacts with wine:
- Tannins appear to soften (though scientists debate whether they actually change or just seem smoother)
- Aromatic compounds become more expressive
- Flavours integrate and harmonize
- The wine "opens up" and reveals hidden layers
The Surface Area Factor
Decanter design matters because:
- Wide bases expose more wine surface to oxygen
- Large bowls allow vigorous swirling
- Elegant shapes direct aromas upward
- Crystal clarity lets you appreciate wine's colour and viscosity
This is why simply leaving a bottle open doesn't work, the narrow neck provides minimal oxygen exposure. Pouring into a broad decanter multiplies surface area exponentially.
Decanting White Wines and Pinot Noir
You absolutely can decant white wine and Pinot Noir, though most don't strictly require it. The benefits are real, but more subtle than with big reds.
When White Wine Decanting Makes Sense
Acidic Pinot Noir
If you find your Pinot Noir too tart or acidic, decanting helps smooth out the flavour and make it more palatable. The oxygen exposure appears to integrate the acidity better with fruit and tannin.
Bold Chardonnays
Certain Chardonnays, particularly oaked, full-bodied examples, express themselves very differently after decanting. We suggest you experiment:
- Pour one glass immediately, note the aromas and flavours
- Decant the rest for 20 minutes, taste again
- Wait another 10 minutes (30 minutes total), taste again
- Judge the differences for yourself
Many tasters find oaked Chardonnay becomes more expressive and integrated with brief decanting.
The Theatre Factor
Even when not strictly necessary, decanting white wines adds to the theatre and sense of occasion. It signals to your guests that this bottle is special, that you're taking wine seriously, and that the evening matters.
There's value in ritual. There's value in beauty. There's value in making an effort.
What About Champagne?
Yes, you can actually decant Champagne! And we're told it improves the taste significantly.
How it works: Decanting Champagne for a brief period (under one hour) can integrate the flavours, soften any aggressive bubbles, and allow the wine's more subtle characteristics to emerge.
Important timing: Keep decanting times under one hour. Champagne's effervescence is part of its charm, you want to enhance the wine, not flatten it entirely.
When to try it: With vintage Champagnes or premium bottles where you want to appreciate full complexity. Less critical with non-vintage or lighter styles.
Cleaning Riedel Decanters
The Restaurant Secret: No Soap Inside
Believe it or not, most restaurants do not use soap to clean the inside of decanters.
Why? It's too difficult to remove all detergent residue, and this adversely affects the aromas and flavours of wine. Even trace amounts of soap can compromise your next bottle.
Proper Cleaning Method
Daily Cleaning (After Each Use)
- Warm water and swirl: Usually sufficient for immediate cleaning
- Overnight soak: Most effective method, draws out any stains or lingering aromas into the water
- Outside wash: Hot water to remove sticky fingermarks
- Inside rinse: Cold water rinse keeps glass from getting foggy
- Drain properly: Ideally on a linen cloth, allowing air to circulate
Deep Clean (Occasionally)
A thorough clean is acceptable now and then:
- White vinegar splash: Natural cleaner that won't leave residue
- Cleaning beads: Specially designed for decanters, they scrub without scratching
- Technique: Add beads and small amount of water, swirl vigorously, rinse thoroughly
Final Touch
Polish with microfibre cloth: Removes any water spots or fingerprints, leaves crystal sparkling
Ready to use again!
What Not to Do
- Never use dish soap inside (nearly impossible to rinse completely)
- Avoid abrasive scrubbers (will scratch fine crystal)
- Don't use hot water for final rinse (causes fogging)
- Never put in dishwasher (hand-blown crystal is too delicate)
The Hyperdecanting Controversy
Should You Put Wine in a Blender?
Our answer: Absolutely not.
There are many internet posts advocating "hyperdecanting", putting wine in a blender to aerate it rapidly.
The Claims
- Will it aerate wine? Absolutely.
- Faster? Yes, undeniably.
- Better? We're not certain at all.
Why We Don't Recommend It
It won't make bad wine magically good. If the wine is fundamentally flawed, violent aeration won't fix it.
It can miss the magic moment. A delicate, older wine might have only a brief period, a matter of minutes, when the wine is in full bloom. Younger wines might bloom for hours, giving you time to catch that perfect window. Hyperdecanting could blast right past that sweet spot.
It lacks elegance. Part of wine appreciation is the ritual, the patience, the anticipation. Throwing wine in a Nutribullet feels wrong because it is wrong.
If You're Really in That Much of a Hurry
We'd suggest a beer. Or a glass of Champagne while you wait for your wine to decant properly!
Some things in life are worth waiting for. A properly decanted wine is absolutely one of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which wines should I decant?
All wines benefit from decanting! Young wines increase oxygenation, reveal complexity, and open up aromas and flavours. Older wines often have sediment requiring removal. Decanting improves both expensive and cheap wines by allowing volatile compounds to evaporate and oxygen to enhance flavours.
How long should I decant wine for?
Decanting times vary from 5 minutes to 4 hours. High-tannin bold reds like Cabernet Sauvignon need about 2 hours. Young light reds like Pinot Noir need 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bold whites like Chardonnay need about 1 hour. Light whites need minimal time, drink immediately or maximum 30 minutes. Champagne can be decanted under 1 hour. Taste regularly to monitor progress.
Does decanting cheap wine make it taste better?
Yes! Decanting cheap wine dramatically improves taste. Inexpensive wines often have awkward rotten egg smells from sulphur dioxide. Decanting allows this smell to disappear quickly through evaporation. Cheap wines can withstand up to 4 hours decanting for reds, 1-2 hours for whites. Taste test every half hour until wine opens up.
How do I clean my Riedel decanter?
Never use soap inside decanters as detergent adversely affects wine aromas and flavours. Warm water and swirl are usually sufficient. Overnight soak draws out stains and aromas. Wash outside with hot water, rinse inside with cold water to prevent fogging. For deep clean, use white vinegar splash and cleaning beads. Final polish with microfibre cloth. Most restaurants avoid soap for this reason.
Should I decant old expensive wines?
Yes, but with caution. Big wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Barolo, Chianti, Syrah, and Malbec benefit from decanting but need less time as they can fade fast. Leave bottle upright overnight to settle sediment. Use candle or torch when pouring to see sediment line approaching bottle neck. Stop pouring before sediment transfers. Take regular sips to catch wine at its "sweet spot."
What is the science behind decanting?
Two processes occur: evaporation and oxidation. Evaporation removes volatile compounds like hydrogen sulphide causing rotten egg smell, making room for oxygen. Oxidation helps oxidize complex wine components including tannins, flavours, and aromas. Oxygen converts aldehydes into ketones and esters which smell and taste pleasant. This breathing process makes wine more expressive and aromatic.
Can I decant white wines and Champagne?
Yes. Most whites don't require decanting but it adds theatre and occasion. Acidic Pinot Noir benefits from decanting to smooth tart flavours. Chardonnays express differently after decanting. Experiment by trying wines not decanted, then at 20 and 30 minutes. Champagne can be decanted and reportedly improves taste significantly, but keep under 1 hour.
How can I speed up decanting?
Pour wine once or twice between two decanters or between decanter and bottle with funnel. Swirl wine in decanter to increase air-to-wine ratio. These techniques dramatically accelerate the aeration process. Alternatively, buy Champagne to drink while waiting, time will fly!
What is hyperdecanting and should I try it?
Hyperdecanting means putting wine in a blender. Not recommended. While it aerates wine faster, it won't make bad wine magically good. Delicate older wines have a brief period when in full bloom, hyperdecanting could miss that magic moment. If in a hurry for a drink, have beer or Champagne while wine decants properly.
Do I need different decanters for different wines?
No. Decanters are not varietal-specific. Their role is providing atmosphere outside bottle and before glass for wine to breathe and mature. Large surface area and shape help with aeration. One quality decanter works for all wine types, though you may choose different styles for aesthetic preferences or entertaining.
Explore Riedel Decanters
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Decanting wine isn't intimidating or exclusive, it's simply allowing wine to express itself fully. Whether you're opening a £7 supermarket red or a treasured vintage Bordeaux, decanting will improve it.
The transformation happens through simple chemistry: volatile sulphur compounds evaporate, oxygen integrates with the wine, flavours harmonize, and aromas bloom.
The ritual matters too: The act of decanting signals that this moment is special, that the wine deserves attention, that you're creating an experience rather than simply consuming a beverage.
Invest in one beautiful Riedel decanter. Use it for everything. Cheap wines, expensive wines, young wines, old wines, reds, whites, even Champagne. Watch ordinary bottles become extraordinary. Watch expensive bottles reveal their full potential.
That's the magic of decanting. That's what Riedel has perfected over generations.
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