Airing an idea

Can you aerate a wine by lightly blowing air into it using a straw? I would like to ‘open up’ a wine faster than you can by using a conventional decanter or a wine pourer, and my theory is that perhaps by gently blowing into a glass of wine with a straw for a few seconds it would increase the oxygen surface area and open the wine – especially with monsters like Côte-Rôtie, Aglianico, Bolgheri and the like.

Tobie Escher, Indianapolis

Sally Easton MW replies: Hi Tobie, I’m not sure whether bottle-aeration or single-serve aeration is more efficient, but you certainly have options to see which one gives you your personally ideal level of ‘opening up’ of any particular ‘monster’ red. You could make a ‘minimal-oxygenating’ decant by running the wine down the side of the decanter. Or a ‘maximal-oxygenating’ decant by pouring fast, directly to the bottom of the decanter to create as much splashback (surface area in contact with air) as possible.

For in-glass aeration, you could absolutely blow into the wine with a straw, more or less gently, according to how much aeration you’re after. Alternatively, you could blow over the surface of the wine, creating mini eruptions (from personal experience, beware of splashback onto your face). Or, if your glass is small enough (your hand big enough), you might place one hand over the top of the glass, and, holding the glass with your other hand, shake your two-handed-glass unit, more or less vigorously for more or less aeration (have something ready on which to dry your hand). I’ve used this option too, when I’ve thought a bit of aeration on a young, tannic red might open it up a bit. Have fun experimenting!