Decanting is probably more necessary than you think and it is likely to be easier to do than you can imagine. Although there is much paraphernalia available to assist you in decanting wine from bottles, such a number of the items are unnecessary and merely add to the idea that decanting is a laborious task requiring great skill and equipment. Decanting is done for three main reasons and it can be achieved quite simply with the minimum of fuss and a little practise. The result of decanting is that the wine you taste and drink will be cleaner, brighter, better integrated and more flavoursome.

So why decant? Well, quite simply, the process takes the wine off the sediment, it removes off odours and allows oxygen to react with the wine to enhance its aromas and soften the tannins. Red wines that have aged for a number of years will create a sediment of long chain tannins. These will look like a dark sludge at the bottom of the bottle, or early on in the aging process like a collection of dust. The tannins should not be consumed; other than a potential headache they will not harm you but they have a bitter taste and will detract from the wines appearance and taste. Read the rest of this entry »

I remember a few years ago when I was first presented with a bottle of Cricova Collection wine. It certainly looked the business, but when it came to opening it I was very hesitant. What was the best way to set about it? Was there some sort of special technology to correctly remove the wax seal? I know you may be laughing - as I am now myself - but it is not the common sense that I was lacking. The fact that this was the only bottle I was given resulted in me being over cautious from the fear of ruining this special experience.      

Well, as time went on, I was lucky enough to acquire a few more bottles of Cricova and now I would like to share my knowledge of how to open a wax-sealed bottle for those that have never opened one before. When done carefully, the wax won’t get into the bottle. So as to avoid turning this in an overcomplicated instruction manual like you might get with a new washing machine, I decided a series of photos would be a good approach. After all, a picture really does paint a thousand words.

The wax preserves the wine for longer. However, opening it is a little different to those you might find in a high-street wine store.	Armed with a short kitchen knife – all that’s needed – begin to remove the wax from the top of the bottle.

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It’s considered the norm today to buy young wines and age them though perhaps even more normal is simply to go ahead and drink them right away. Browsing through high-street wine retailers, it can be hard to buy anything older than the year 2000 (with the possible exception of the shop assistant in the more reputable outlets). I bet there are many people that might even think that a wine that old would only be good in a dressing of some sort. And they would be right if we talking about a cheap wine that has been on supermarket shelves for more than a few years.
When looking to buy proper old wine you more often than not have to shell out a larger sum of money and get in touch with specialised sources and with good reason. Not every wine can or will age well. Even if a wine will age well, that’s only half the battle as it needs the right conditions to properly release its finesse as time slowly slips by. These right conditions must consist of a dark and humid place at temperatures between 12 and 16°c and ideally in a vibration-free environment, which unfortunately rules out having a wine cellar anywhere near London’s tube system. Although a good cellar will provide these conditions, they do not come cheap which is probably the reason why not many winemakers can boast about their wine storage facilities.
Whether fortunate enough to have cellars to be proud of or not, most winemakers are in the business of selling their production as soon as possible. This way, they can enjoy the profits of their labor rather than take the risk of finding out that that year’s grapes has produced a wine that will not age well, potentially make for a big loss. Read the rest of this entry »