Decanting a bottle of Bordeaux

Which Wines Should Be Decanted, and for How Long?

Knowing which wines should be decanted is an essential skill, whether you’re a casual wine drinker or a serious collector. Nearly all fine wines, especially young ones, benefit from some decanting, as the process releases subtle aromas and flavors in the wine. However, while most wines—young or old, valuable or inexpensive—can be decanted, that doesn’t mean you must, or should, decant every bottle. To find out which wines should be decanted and for how long, follow your eyes and nose, consider the bottle’s age, and make an estimate based on the wine variety and style. This guide will walk you through this decision process so you can enjoy your wine at its best.

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reviews of counterfeit wines

Identifying Reviews of Counterfeit Wines: Do We Really Know What Older, Classic Vintages Taste Like?

Like a stone thrown into a pond, the ripples of wine fraud impact more than just one collector’s cellar. What happens when a professional wine reviewer can’t tell a fake bottle from a real one by taste? Collectors rely on professional reviews for accuracy, but when these reviews are compromised by fraud, it’s virtually impossible…

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drinking habits of us presidents

Where Are the Modern Wine-Loving Presidents? The Changing Drinking Habits of U.S. Presidents

Just five years after George Washington became the first president of the United States, he bought six pipes (that’s 756 gallons) of Madeira wine. To say that Washington was a wine enthusiast is probably the understatement of the last two centuries. Even before the Revolutionary War, wine played an important, underlying role in the U.S.…

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identifying herb and floral flavors in wine

Tasting Boot Camp Week Two: Identifying Floral and Herb Flavors in Wine

Even seasoned collectors feel insecure about their palates once in awhile. For the longest time, my Achilles heel was herbal notes. I could easily pinpoint dark fruit, citrus, and lavender, but grass, thyme, and eucalyptus always seemed to evade me. It wasn’t because those flavors weren’t there–I’d read multiple tasting notes that all picked up…

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