The Grape Debate: Do Wine Aerators Really Work?
My wine knowledge has grown considerably over the years; I now understand vintage, varietals, body, tannin and viscosity, but subtleties like the whiff of “pencil shavings” emanating from a glass of Petit Verdot escape me. Ah, so much to learn; so much wine to drink.
Wine should be slowly enjoyed; swirled, sniffed, sipped and savored over a good meal. A decanted wine evolves and comes to life; tannins slowly diminish and aromas of fruit and spices develop more fully—but I rarely do it.
Why, you may ask? Because I live in the age of instant gratification. I can’t wait 20 minutes for wine to decant. I want it now—pour me a glass, and let’s get to it! Thus, enter the age of the wine aerator. A trendy, fun kitchen gadget, you may have one tucked away in a kitchen drawer. But are they all they are cracked up to be?
The Wine Aerator Test
Is forcing air into a wine the same as the slower, more natural process of decanting? I invited four friends over who really know their wines to get an honest answer. A blind taste test, not between different cellars, but the same wine decanted and also aerated. Sneaky, huh?
We tested two: a young Pinot Noir and a big fat ‘07 Cab.
The Inspection: Eyeballs Required
Bubbles floated on the wine that had been aerated (so much for my trickery), but at least we knew the gizmo actually worked. Bubbly red wine looked odd to me, but others thought it was pretty—whatever.
The Nose: Swirl and Inhale
Everyone agreed the decanted wine had a much stronger bouquet, or nose, as they call it in the biz. It was far easier to detect different aromas—which is all part of the wine-tasting experience.
The Taste: Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Two-ounce pours are ideal—no, they are not shooters! Small sips are swirled around the tongue to experience the full range of flavor. The decanted wine tasted smoother and fuller-bodied, but the aerator did greatly soften the tannins.
The Finish: What We Decided
The diminished olfactory sensation of the aerated wine was a big NO-NO to all my friends. Smell provides a major role when tasting wine and should not be diminished.
The reduction of the tannins was a deal breaker for some of the group but a godsend for others. Big hearty red drinkers want their wine to have a bit of a backbone, and those who prefer whites or sweeter reds tend to like a mellower wine and would probably not have chosen the two we tested.
The Fit Bottomed Line: Slow down and decant those wines (especially the reds) for the full sensory experience. If you find yourself with a wine that is just too much to handle, by all means aerate away—whatever makes it more enjoyable.
Decanted, aerated or straight from the bottle, never turn down a glass of vino though. That would just be bad manners!
Do you take the time to decant or even aerate? Can you tell a difference? —Karen