In English the verb “to decant” means “to pour slowly”, and the term is also applied to describe the object used in the operation: the decanter, even though it is seen by most people merely as a container. But how many of us actually possess one and are able to use it skilfully? Should we only use it with red wine or are there white wines which might also benefit from being decanted? Is the Decanter’s only role to make a pleasing appearance on the table or does it have a well-defined use which is essential in some circumstances?

Some days ago I was talking to a client who was telling me that he had seen a decanter being used in a restaurant with a wine that he considered far too young to merit decanting. In my opinion the fact that the restaurant had used the decanter deserved praise, but considering the wine in question perhaps the decanter had been used to emphasise the quality of the service and the wine rather than out of any real necessity, even though with some intense full-bodied young red wines, the use of a decanter would not be out of place.

Let us consider the question for a moment: if a wine needs to breathe it probably means that we are talking about a mature wine that needs to recover a little freshness and simplicity, and it requires not only space but also time for the aeration process to take place. Discuss all you want but one thing is certain “the older the wine the more the need to aerate”. This is an undeniable truth. If today I wanted to serve the 1998 wine I ought to consider opening a bottle at midday in order to be able to drink it at nine thirty in the evening. 7 ½ hours!

A simple calculation allows half an hour for every year of maturity. It conjures up the image of the following scene. We telephone a restaurant to book a table and ask about the wines, their year and discuss at what time they should be opened in order to enjoy them at their best. Hardly a common occurrence! I fear that if a restaurant owner received a request of this kind, he might resort to using a decanter in a clumsy way in order to speed up the oxidation process, swirling the wine excessively in order “to get the job done more quickly”. However this action would do no favour either to the customer or the wine.

In any case I would recommend wine lovers who enjoy a mature wine at home always to use a decanter in order to really appreciate the wine at its best. The decanter can be a beautiful object in its own right, a pleasure to observe at a special dinner. It may also be used with some white wines, if they are mature, with body, or have been aged in a wooden barrel: even these wines need a little oxygen. Ideally there should be a space for ice below the base of the decanter itself. Oxygen is important but so is the correct temperature. But above all it is a question of time. Each action has its necessary time and the even the smallest of actions deserves its due time. The enjoyment of a good wine at the right moment is above all a question of time- and the result is well worth waiting for.