Tips on Opening and Decanting Older Wines

Although much time and energy is spent discussing which wines to acquire, when to drink them, and when to cellar them, the finer aspects of service are sometimes overlooked. These are some tips for opening and decanting older wines at home that I have collected over the years in my career as a sommelier.

Thoughts on Decanting

Decanting is one of the more hotly debated aspects of wine service. Ask ten professionals their decanting preferences and you’re likely to get ten different answers. With that in mind, I will outline my own personal preferences based on many years of serving older wines in fine dining restaurants in New York City and Napa Valley.

Multimedia: Opening and Decanting an Older Wine