How long to let wine breathe

How long you let a wine breathe depends on the type of wine, how old the wine is, the rating of a particular vintage and the size of the bottle. Certain red grape varieties need to breathe longer than others as they are more tannic and require additional exposure to air to open up. The age of the wine is also important because a wine that’s already in its prime doesn’t require as much exposure to oxygen compared to one that’s on the young side. In fact, really old wines that were bottled 35-40+ years ago may not need to be decanted at all and should sometimes be drunk as soon as they’re opened (especially for older Burgundies where the sediment is lighter).

The question of vintage is relevant as a good vintage will likely have more potential depth and you may want to let the wine breathe for longer, so its full profile can emerge. Lastly, wines age differently depending on the size of the bottle. A half bottle will need less time to breathe than a 750ml bottle, and a magnum, 3 liter or 5 liter bottle will need significantly more time.

We’ve provided a handy list of decanting times for different wines below. When in doubt, you can always try tasting the wine at 15 minute intervals to see if it’s opened up. Be on the lookout for primary fruit flavors and new aromas that emerge from aeration.

Why should you let a wine breathe?

Every wine has a certain point within its lifespan where it’s at its optimal state. If you have a bottle of first or second growth Bordeaux, or a high-end Napa Cabernet, your wine might not be in its prime until it’s at least ten to 15 years old. So what can you do if you want to open it sooner? Decant it and let it breathe to bring the wine closer to its “best” state.

You do this by pouring the wine into a decanter and giving it a chance to mix with the air. Oxygen helps to bring out some of the aromas and flavors and to alter the texture of the wine. Note, this is the same reason why you swirl the wine in your glass before tasting it.

The science behind aeration

Aeration is a process whereby air is mixed with a material causing a chemical reaction. When it comes to wine, aeration causes both oxidation and evaporation, removing some sulfites and excess ethanol from the wine, softening the tannins, and enhancing the flavor.

Different wines need different amounts of decanting

While most everyday drinking wines will be ready after 30-45 minutes (you could use a decanter or just pour the wine into a glass) certain bottles require more or less time depending on the grapes in the blend and their age.

Red wines

• Napa and Sonoma Cabernets. These are big, bold and tannic reds that you should give ten to 15 years before drinking, depending on the vintage. If you want to open them sooner, it’s best to let the wine have at least 45 minutes of aeration before drinking. Choose a decanter with a wide base to increase the surface area and give the wine the maximum amount of air exposure.
• Barolos and Barbarescos. These northern Italian wines are made from the Nebbiolo grape, which is high in tannins and acidity. You never want to drink them young and should always wait at least 5-6 years for Barolos, or 3-4 years for Barbarescos, before opening. Even then, decanting the wine for anywhere from 2-5 hours ahead of time will make a dramatic difference in how it tastes. You may also want to consult notes on the particular vintage for the bottle you have. For example, the 2015 and 2016 Barolo vintages were both ranked 10/10. However, the 2015 is more open and less tannic and will be drinkable sooner than the 2016, which is a tighter wine that needs more time in the bottle (and thus more decanting).
• A younger Burgundy. Red wines from Burgundy are 100% Pinot Noir. They may be quite expensive bottles but that doesn’t necessarily mean they require a lot of time to breathe. Start by decanting the wine for half an hour and then taste it at ten minute intervals to see how it’s opening up.
• An older Premier or Grand Cru Burgundy. A Premier or Grand Cru Burgundy that’s 15-20 years old needs less time than a younger wine, as it’s already in its prime. Try decanting the wine for half an hour and taste it along the way.
• A good vintage Malbec from Argentina. Argentina makes some delicious Malbec which is a red Bordeaux varietal that’s full-bodied but has softer tannins than a Cabernet. Decant these wines for 45 minutes to an hour.
• A high-end Australian Shiraz. These Shiraz or Shiraz-Cabernet blends are usually oak-aged and decanting them helps to soften the wood flavors so you’re tasting more of the wine’s primary fruit and experiencing more aromas. Give them at least an hour before drinking.
• An older Northern Rhône Syrah. Syrah is an unusual red grape varietal in that it changes character significantly with age. The general rule is to either drink these wines in the first three years or wait until they’re 7-10 years-old. This is because a big wine can sometimes go through a “dumb” state where its flavors shutdown and then later reemerge. If you have an older Hermitage or Cote-Rotie, you might want to let it breathe for just under an hour. If it’s a younger bottle, it’s best to decant it for twice as long.
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas. These red wines tend to be high in alcohol and exposing them to air helps to release their aromatics and develop more of their spicy notes. They are wines that can be enjoyed young but also age well. Our advice is to open and decant the wine for at least an hour ahead of drinking.
• Super Tuscans. These ultra expensive red wines need more time because they often contain tannic grape varietals like Cabernet and Merlot. You’ll want to treat most Super Tuscans like Cabernets and give them at least an hour to breathe. If you have an older bottle, check vintage recommendations and reduce the decanting time.
• Brunello and Chianti Classico Riservas. These Italian reds are made with the Sangiovese grape which is somewhat lower in tannins. Decant a Chianti Classico Riserva for up to an hour, and give a Brunello an additional half-hour.
• Amarones. These are big, full-bodied, high-alcohol reds with dominant cherry notes. They’re made in the Verona region of Italy and can always benefit from a good hour or more of decanting.
• Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Toro. Riojas are Tempranillo-based and require less time than Ribera del Dueros and Toros. You can decant a Rioja for 30-45 min depending on the level of the wine and a Ribera del Duero or Toro will need an hour or longer. For a young Spanish red wine, the higher the level and the more expensive the wine, the bigger it will be and the longer you should decant it.
• Pomerol and Saint Emillions from Bordeaux. These are Merlot and Cabernet-Franc based blends that come from the right bank. They need less time than left-bank wines like Margeaux and Pauillac. If you have a younger wine, decant it for just over an hour but also do your research as this can change for certain vintages.
• Medoc and Graves from Bordeaux. These left-bank wines are Cabernet-Sauvignon based and should have one and a half, to two hours to breathe, especially when they’re young.
• An older red wine from Bordeaux. If you’re decanting a red wine from Bordeaux that’s 30+ years old, depending on the vintage, and if it’s right or left bank, it’s likely already in its prime. We’d suggest only ten to 30 minutes of decanting time. The main reason to decant here is to separate the wine from its sediment. For particularly good vintages, you can also pour a little and taste the wine to see if it’s open right away, then give it a few more minutes until you feel it’s ready.

Top Wine Tip: When you have an older wine, keep it standing up straight for ten days before drinking so the sediment settles at the bottom. Pour the wine slowly, holding the bottle at an angle when you open it.

White wine needs to breathe too

Decanting is mostly something you do with red wines but you can do it with whites as well. Any white wine will benefit from being poured in a glass and sitting for a few minutes before drinking. However, for certain whites, especially big, oak-aged Chardonnays, you’ll want to give the wine a good half-hour to help remove some of the oakiness that can mask the wine’s fruit flavors. Note, wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio rarely need to be decanted.

White wines

• High-end California Chardonnays. These wines are usually partially aged in new oak. New oak is different from older wood barrels and can impart quite strong woody notes to the wine that dominate the flavors and aromas. By pouring the wine in a glass or decanting it for 15-20 minutes, some of this “oakiness” will start to blow off.
• An oak-aged Grand Cru Chablis. Whether oaked or unoaked, Grand Cru Chablis are big and complex whites. Exposing them to air helps them to open up. Ideally, you’ll want to let this wine breathe for 30 min to an hour.
• An older white Premier Cru or Grand Cru Burgundy. These wines are interesting because their features tend to evolve and develop the longer they’re aerated. Particularly with larger format bottles like magnums and 3 liters, try tasting the wine over the course of 1-2 hours.
• Higher-end Bordeaux whites. These wines are usually an oak-aged blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Letting them breathe for 20-30 minutes can both modify the oak elements and ensure you taste more of the fruit.
• White wines from the Rhône region. These wines are made from Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne varietals and are either a blend or in the case of Condrieu, just Viognier. They tend to be aged in oak and very complex in nature. We’d recommend drinking them when they’re ten to 15 years old as you’ll have more secondary flavors in the wine. Exposure to oxygen will help bring these complexities out, so decant and then drink them over the course of an hour or two.
• A more expensive wine from Friuli, Italy. Friuli is famous for making both single white varietal wines as well as blends. The blends usually see some oak and can be quite complex because of the nature of the grape varieties. Let them breathe for 20 min or more before drinking.
• A white Rioja. White Riojas are usually aged in oak before release, sometimes for up to ten years. They really need exposure to oxygen to help bring out their flavors and aromas. You’re best off decanting this wine for at least half an hour after opening.

Should you decant less expensive bottles of wine?

Yes. Even if you don’t have an expensive red, an everyday wine can benefit from some aeration to help its flavors emerge. It likely won’t require more than 30-40 min. If you don’t have a decanter, just pour the wine and leave it for a bit before drinking.

Wine Experiment: Pick up a $15-20 bottle of red wine, drink a glass, then wine vac the rest and have it the next day. Pay close attention to what you’re tasting on days one and two and don’t be surprised if the wine is much better the second time around. It’s because it had a chance to breathe so the flavors may be fuller, the texture richer, and the aromas more prominent!

3 Ways to let a wine breathe

Just removing the cork doesn’t necessarily help a wine breathe because there’s not enough surface area or oxygen inside the bottle for it to fully react with the air.

1. Pour the wine in a decanter. No matter what the shape, when you pour wine into a decanter it swirls it around the inside surface and gives it the air exposure it needs as it travels into the basin. You can purchase a glass decanter from most fine wine shops and kitchen stores.
2. Try a glass pitcher. If you don’t have a decanter at home, a water pitcher will work. Just make sure it’s open topped to let the wine interact with the air and don’t use a vessel that’s metal or plastic. These materials can cause reactions which negatively impact the flavors and aromas in the wine.
3. Use a wine glass. It may not be the same volume of wine, but a large wine glass will get the job done. You’re basically opening up the wine in the glass to let it release more of its flavors. This is especially the case if you swirl the wine before drinking, which increases aeration.

What’s the deal with different shaped decanters?

Not all decanters look alike. A really wide base that gives maximum exposure is what a big and tannic red wine is going to need if you’re drinking it early. On the other hand, you can find smaller, more jug shaped decanters for wine that doesn’t need as much aeration, for example, Pinot Noir, which is a wine that has lower tannins. You can also find special types of decanters that are designed to help you get an older wine off its sediment, while limiting air exposure.

A reminder to take care when decanting older wines

A younger wine from a good vintage will be tight and holding on to all of its elements. Exposure to oxygen helps to release them. Think of it as artificially aging the wine so you can drink it sooner. On the flip side, an older wine may just disappear when exposed to oxygen if you don’t drink it fast enough. That’s the danger with decanting if you don’t have enough experience. Before you open up a really old or expensive bottle, look up vintage notes and always ask an expert!