I’ve probably already lost the hardcore oenophile in this month’s column. They’re sitting on Brunello from the 1980s that has to be reintroduced to 2011. So, they’ve already checked out looking for their decanter or fancy-sounding air funnel thingy. I am talking to you: average U.S. wine consumer. We drink the vast majority of our wine too young and within just a few days (on average) of purchase. The result of decanting one of these wines is akin to drinking coffee at your convenience store after 3 p.m. (think the illustration at right). That is to say, the experience is awful. The liquid is oxidized — tasting flat, acidic and just plain lifeless. Can I interest you in a few brown apple slices? Oxygen is the enemy of wine. How can wine’s greatest enemy also be one of its greatest assets? Let’s first talk about what happens during oxygen’s contact with your bottled grape juice. Wine that is exposed to oxygen will begin to oxidize immediately when the closure is opened and oxygen contacts the wine. Technically, oxidation means there is a loss of protons from molecules in the wine. The result is an acetaldehyde off-odor, or more commonly referred to as a sherry or vinegar smell (I had to look that up). All wine will eventually oxidize past the point of enjoyment. Fortunately, there are components of the wine working together against oxygen to help keep the wine in tact: acid (Ph), tannins and alcohol. Knowing the levels of these components is essential to knowing both how long you can age your wine (in years), as well as whether your wine would benefit from decanting. Am I suggesting that you visit the technical sheets for all of the wines you intend on purchasing? Yes. I am. (Not really). Fortunately, at least one of these items is listed right on the label: the alcohol content. In general, the higher the alcohol content, the more protection the wine has against oxygen, and therefore more of a chance of aging. I can hear the hardcore oenophiles muttering “yeah, but what about those low alcohol Bordeaux blends?” Well, they also have acid. And, they have tannins. How do we know about the acid and tannins in a wine? In a word: experience. We know which varietals have a high level of tannins. We know which wines are made with longer maceration times — that is, the time the juice has contact with tannin-rich skins and possibly stems. We also know which wines are aged in wood barrels. And, we know generally the acid levels of a given grape grown in a given region. Wine publications as well as the good old Internet are great resources for learning about these different qualities of a given type of wine. The more tannin, alcohol and acid you have in a wine, the longer the wine will resist the inevitable oxidation. It then follows that a wine with a high level of any or all of these anti-oxidant compounds would possibly benefit from a little bit of oxygen, thus “softening” the harshness of the bittering tannins, the mouth-puckering acid or the throat-burning alcohol. I think of young vintages of New World cabernet, or possibly that gnarly old vine zinfandel when I think of these situations. Of course, I’d be remiss to not mention mouth-watering sangiovese from Tuscany, or brooding Nebbiolo from Piedmont. These wines, with one or more of these anti-oxidants at play in a big way will benefit from a little decanting. Now that we know which kinds of wines benefit from decanting, it’s easy to turn our attention to what doesn’t need or tolerate a decanting: everything else. Or, as the wine industry in the U.S. knows well, 98 percent of wine is consumed within two days of purchase. These are the everyday wines: the youthful cabs, the playful malbecs, the fruity sauvignon blancs and the spicy syrahs. None of these everyday wines will likely benefit from a run through your air thingy, and none of them will benefit from 30 minutes in a fancy decanter shaped like a duck. In fact, the very opposite is likely to happen: the wine’s eventual oxidation is accelerated when decanted, thus robbing you, the wine drinker, of the very aromas and flavors meant to be enjoyed. This brings me back to the title of this month’s article: Don’t decant your wine. That really should read, “Don’t decant your wine unless you know that decanting will benefit it, and always err on the safe side and pour directly into your glass and enjoy.” — Mike Kallay, (619) 822-1606 or (858) 205-0107 (cell). Fore more information, visit www.caskroom.com, or e-mail [email protected].