Decanting, the process of pouring red wine from its bottle into a new vessel for the purpose of aeration or separation from sediment, hastens the mixing of air and wine and is usually a good idea when serving finer wines. Besides the occasions when you observe sediment in the bottle, the time to decant is when you have an aromatic red wine that will get more expressive when it is finally aerated.

Have you ever felt that in the course of going through a bottle of red wine, or even in the course of finishing just one glass, that the wine improves over a brief amount of time? That's because it is getting an opportunity to "open up," or mix with air.

Some people believe that it is best to decant every red wine, regardless of age or quality. This approach certainly does no harm and, in most cases, will bring the best out in the wine sooner. But most wines today are made to be consumed immediately, particularly in the price range up to $15 a bottle. For these wines, aeration will probably not make a noticeable difference. For finer red wines, with layers of complexity from fruit and extended oak aging, decanting is a small extra step that will add not only to the ceremony of wine enjoyment but will also most likely bring out all that the wine has to offer.

Many red wines of significant age, and some young ones, will have a small amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottle or clinging to its side. This is usually a sign of an unfiltered wine. The sediment is simply the natural residue from tannin molecules combining with color pigments in the wine over time and settling at the base of the bottle. There is no harm in drinking this residue, but it is not at all pleasant. The objective of decanting is to enjoy the wine without tasting the harsh bitterness of the sediment.

To separate red wine from its sediment, just pour the wine slowly into a decanter that has an extra wide, round bottom and a long narrow neck, and stop pouring as soon as you see the sediment entering the neck of the bottle. You should end up with a few ounces of wine still in the bottle. The unique shape of the container will expose a large surface area of wine to air and start the release of its fragrant aromas. Let it stand for at least 10 minutes before pouring into glasses.

Another way to aerate red wine before consuming it is to fill the wine glass, or glasses, with wine in advance of drinking it. This method works well when preparing to serve guests. If you're setting a dinner table about 30 minutes to an hour in advance of serving the food, just remember to fill the glasses with wine at the same time.

— Len Napolitano lives in the Central Coast wine country and believes that the more you understand wine, the more you enjoy it. He is certified in wine by the Society of Wine Educators, Wine & Spirits Education Trust and Chicago Wine School. More information is on his Web site, at http://www.wineology.com. Send your questions about wine to wineologist@earthlink.net or by mail to Len Napolitano in care of the Ventura County Star, P.O. Box 6006, Camarillo, CA 93011. Wineology is a registered trademark of Len Napolitano.