Decanting Port

Not as difficult as it looks, decanting a bottle of port properly always wins a host instant style points. Decanting is merely drawing off the good wine from its sediment. But if done improperly, it will ruin the wine.

First off, a bottle of port should sit undisturbed for 24 hours. After that time, you have two ways to decant, depending on how the bottle has been stored - upright or horizontally. For either method, you'll need a dry decanter (and no, it need not be silver or even an "official" port decanter), a funnel, a good light source, and a corkscrew.

If the bottle has been stored upright, you'll also need clean muslin. Line the funnel with the muslin. As you keep the bottle on its side, carefully uncork it. Gently pour the port through the funnel and into a decanter. When the sediment gathers at the bottle's shoulder, stop pouring. Since most port bottles are dark colored, you will need to hold the light source next to the bottle so you can monitor the sediment's movement. Traditionally, a candle is used to do this.

For bottles that have been stored horizontally, decant from the edge of a counter or table while keeping the bottle on its side. This decanting method requires more coordination because you must have the funnel and decanter ready to catch the wine as soon as you draw the cork. Tilt the bottle as needed, but again, be careful not to pour the sediment into the funnel.