To decant or not to decant? With apologies to Shakespeare, this is so often the question on the minds of wine lovers,

for whom the time-honored practice of decanting a favorite bottle of wine can feel baffling and intimidating.

Although it may seem unnecessarily fancy and stuffy – or best left to professional sommeliers and serious collectors with hundreds of expensive bottles in their cellars – the ritual of decanting wine isn’t at all complicated or mysterious. It can be accomplished easily in the comfort of your own home, whenever the occasion arises.

It’s not so much the act of decanting (pouring wine into a separate container in order to expose the surface of the liquid to oxygen) that confuses people, but rather the question of why and when to do it. Once you understand the basic logic behind the custom, you’ll find it couldn’t be simpler, and may even enhance your appreciation of a special bottle.