2009年4月5日 星期日

The host remembered to decant the wine before serving it to his guests. 

[dee-KANT-ing] Decanting is done either to separate the wine from any sediment deposited during the aging process or to allow a wine to breathe in order to enhance its flavor.  When decanting an older wine, care should be taken not to disturb the sediment.  A wine basket (also called cradle or Burgundy basket) can be used to move the bottle in a horizontal position from where it was stored to where it will be decanted.  This position keeps the sediment from disseminating throughout the wine.  If such a basket isn't available, stand the bottle upright for an hour so that the sediment can settle to the bottom of the bottle.  Once the foil and cork are removed, gently wipe the mouth of the bottle.  Then begin slowly pouring the wine into a decanter, placing a strong light (a candle is charming, but a flashlight is more practical) behind or below the neck of the bottle.  The light lets you see the first signs of sediment, at which point you stop pouring.  See alsoopening and serving wine at Home, page 593.