Does wine need to breathe?
This question really only relates to fine wines and those made in an old-fashioned way. Once upon a time, wines were made to be kept, and over time they threw a natural sediment in the bottle. Decanting made it easier to avoid the sediment and helped to air a heavy, tannic wine. But now wines are made to taste fruity rather than of wood, and are aged for a shorter time (if at all) in oak barrels. Few need to be opened in advance of serving. Exceptions to the rule are some very heavy red wines made in Italy (including Barolo and Barbaresco) and Portugal (vintage port or Dao table wines) produced in a very traditional way. Otherwise, forget decanting, unless you want to cheat and make a heavy Eastern European or South African wine taste smoother. An hour in a decanter adds air to any wine, however cheap, and if it is high in alcohol and low in subtlety, it can taste much better!
