The Second Glass

Being an intern at The Second Glass gives me the opportunity to learn about every aspect of wine. My roommates also get to reap the benefits (probably more than they like) because I come home and share with them what I have learned. One day someone asked me if the wine actually needs to breathe, unable to answer, I decided to take the next step and reference my wine books.

I discovered that certain wines DO need to breathe. The younger the wine the more likely the taste will be affected. However, just allowing it to breathe out of the bottle will have little to no affect because there is not enough air exposure. So in order for the wine to aerate properly, you must use a decanter or allow it to sit for 10 minutes in a large glass. Even though most red wines need aerating, there are only a few white wines that require it. So next time you open a bottle, don’t forget to let it get a few breathes of fresh air before guzzling!