Why does red wine need to "breath"?!
Why does red wine need to "breath"?
Answers:
because red wines as such are usualy stored for maturation after bottling and BEFORE reaching consumer...not all tho...only noble variates will be affected....blends are usually quaffable there & then. most (silly patrons in a restaurant) will expect a perfectly ready to drink bottle of wine be allowed to "breath" before drinking...usually around 10 minutes. This , if you don't know EXACTLY what you're talking about, is unneccesary...the pouring of the wine into a glas will give it sufficient "airing" (if you like....release...) from the bottle. This as i say is only really effective in Noble reds (not blends as much)......& if the wine has been stored correctly(temp etc)...should be no worries.! most people just act! I foxed many a patron (on purpose, to prove a point). Heck, if they don't like it, they gonna want another anyway (same procedure...heh heh!)
if it's for your own use....yes, cork it & leave for a few minutes...while u get the glasses etc...no harm..no rush..(I hope)....but ya....pompous baSTards!
Most red wines do not need to "breathe." A few do, however, especially the small percentage of young wines which are being drunk before they were designed to be drunk. These are almost always fairly expensive wines. If you're drinking everyday stuff, you shouldn't bother.
"Breathing" refers to air-contact which softens some of the harsher components of red wine. In most cases, this can be achieved by pouring the wine into the serving glasses and swirling them around vigorously. The same effect can be achieved by decanting the bottle into a decanter or a clean glass jug a few minutes before serving.