Breathing is an informal term for allowing wine to come into contact with air before or during service. Exposure to oxygen can change a wine’s aroma and flavour, sometimes allowing a tightly wound young wine to become more expressive. Simply removing the cork and leaving the wine in the bottle usually provides very little aeration because the exposed surface area is small.
When wine is poured into a glass or decanter, a larger surface area is exposed to air. Swirling also increases contact with oxygen and releases volatile aroma compounds. Some wines may seem more open after a short period, while others show little improvement or may lose freshness with prolonged exposure.
Young, structured reds such as Barolo, Cabernet Sauvignon and some Syrah may benefit from controlled aeration. Some reductive whites may also open with air. Delicate older wines can be fragile and may fade quickly after opening, so they should be handled carefully and tasted as they develop.
Breathing is the general idea of allowing air contact. Decanting is the act of transferring wine into another vessel, either to aerate it or to separate it from sediment. A wine can breathe in the glass without being decanted.
Example: pour a young Syrah into a decanter or glass and taste it over time; an older Burgundy may need only gentle handling and a short period in the glass.
Chef’s tip: do not prescribe a fixed breathing time without tasting. Monitor the wine and serve it when its aromas and structure are showing well.
This term is one of hundreds covered in depth across OCS courses, learning paths, and 1-on-1 coaching with Chef Eric.
