To aerate means to introduce air into a material. You can aerate many different things such as your yard, ponds, drinking water and wine! To aerate wine means to expose the wine to air in order to trigger oxidation and evaporation which increases texture and flavor.
The Difference Between a Decanter and an Aerator
Both a decanter and aerator serve the same purpose – to let the wine “breathe.” Decanting does this by expanding the surface area of the wine to increase its contact with the air and allowing those more favorable aromas and flavors to develop as less favorable compounds evaporate.
Aerators expedite the decanting process by introducing air as the wine travels through the device or by dispersing the wine through the spouts. AirVi™'s extensive selection of aerators accomplishes the latter. In different ways, each AirVi™ product improves the flavor, aroma, texture, and taste of wine. Aerating your wine is critical to improving your glass of wine.
Benefits of Aerating Wine
Here would be the benefit of aerating wine with any of the select AirVi™ products:
-
Evaporate Unfavorable Compounds: Aerating your wine will help accelerate the evaporation of less favorable sulfites and ethanol compounds of wine.
-
Improve Flavors: Aerating improves your wine’s taste and smell by removing those less favorable ones we mentioned above. Expedite the time needed for a glass of wine to breath on its own. Use an AirVi™ product to get to enjoying your wine rather than waiting on it.
-
Reach Peak Taste Sooner: Aerating a wine allows it to come to its peak faster. But, don’t let your glass linger too long. Aerating can also lead to your wine flattening out sooner and you’ll lose that enhanced flavor you set out to achieve. Pour what you need for right now - be prepared to quickly fill up your glass again!
Which wines benefit from aeration?
Not every wine needs to be aerated. For example, young reds with a heavy tannin base or a more complex, bold structure, benefit more from decanting than aerating. The same goes for older, further aged wines. Just remember, the flavors in some older wines are more likely to fade in minutes, not hours, so only dispense as much as you need.
Here are some of the wine types that we have found to truly benefit from aeration:
-
Petite Sirah
-
Merlot
-
Shiraz
-
Cabernet Sauvignon
-
Malbec
-
Syrah
-
Bordeaux
-
Nebbiolo