Mature Red Wines
A good red wine, if stored properly, will benefit greatly from the ageing process. The aromas and flavors intended in the vinification process have had time to develop in the bottle, but need to be gently revealed upon opening. The act of decanting a mature red wine helps to awaken it and expose all its qualities. As much a ritual as is the process of tasting: the art of decanting involves a gentle transfer of the wine to the vessel, ensuring sediment remains in the bottle. It requires patience and a steady hand.

White Wines
White wines are usually consumed when they are much younger than reds, but they too can benefit from decanting. The aromas and flavors of a white wine are layered, often subtle and in many cases fleeting: gentle decanting encourages their development and aids in revealing the wine’s color.

Decanting Mature Red and White Wines
Decanting a mature red wine or a fine white wine helps to reveal its character through gentle exposure to oxygen, but it is not without risk. In revealing these wines, oxygen is the ally but can also be the enemy if the wine is treated harshly or exposed to oxygen too quickly. Therefore, any vessel that such wines are transferred to must be capable of handling the wine very gently, minimizing its exposure to air and reducing the risk of splashing, which will introduce too much oxygen.

Decanters for Young Red Wines
Young red wines tend to be more accessible and plentiful than mature reds, but they also tend to lack the structure and development that maturity can bring. A wine can be considered “young” for the first 2-3 years after bottling. It is then "hibernating" and must be awakened before serving if it is to reveal its full personality. Enhancing the wines exposure to the air – a process called aeration, or oxygenation – helps to wake it up, ensuring a better release of aromas and helping to soften its tannins.

Decanters intended for young red wines usually have the following characteristics: a shorter, wider throat; and a deep, wide belly. These characteristics enable the wine to more freely breathe, as the air circulates easily around a large surface area in the decanter.

There are generally two shapes of decanter for young red wines: traditional; and duck. Traditional decanters stand upright, whereas duck decanters derive their category name due to their shape – they resemble the silhouette of a duck.