Should you? Reasons to decant your wine

You may have seen wine in a glass pitcher and thought it was a pretty display, but did you also know there was a function involved?

The pitcher is called a decanter, and there are a variety of reasons to use one when drinking wine.

Decanting goes back hundreds of years, when wine was produced and stored in amphorae which are too heavy to bring to the table. Wine was poured into the decanters to make it easier to deliver to the table and serve.

Eric Glomski, Co-Owner and Director of Winemaking for Arizona Stronghold Vineyards says there are 3 main reasons he decants wine. 'I decant wine for a number of reasons #1 To remove sediment from a wine #2 To aerate a wine #3 For aesthetics.'

When it comes to choosing a decanter, Glomski says the size, shape and cost are all important. 'I like one bottle decanters that are easy to wash', he said, but admits to even using his kids Kool-Aid pitcher in a pinch.

You should not decant all wines, Glomski says some very old wines can 'die' very quickly being exposed to oxygen in a decanter. He added decanting is not a good option of you are not going to finish the bottle.

The Arizona Stronghold Vineyards tasting room in Cottonwood, Arizona offers Live Music Fridays and Evenings with the Winemaker. A schedule of events is listed below.

Live Music Fridays and Evenings with the Winemaker

Live Music Fridays
01/14 - 6-9PM - Music by Vyktoria Keating. Described by the Washington Post as "some of the most free-handed, lithe and resilient music around."
02/04 - 7-9PM - Music by Raven aka Peter Gonzales. Enjoy a relaxing evening accompanied by the lyrics and acoustic guitar of Raven.
02/11- 6-9PM - Music by Singer/Songwriter Connie Fisher. Enjoy inspirational and worldly music, including Celtic influenced sounds accompanied by the Cedar Flute.
02/25 - 6-9PM - Music by Mike "King Daddy" Morris. Featuring a unique mix of guitar, harmonica and vocals.
03/04 - 7-10PM - Music by "Swank." DJ Metro will be spinning a variety of records.
03/11 - 6-9PM - Enjoy a relaxing evening of piano with Luke Bernard.

Evening With The Winemaker
Every third Friday, a different member of our winemaking team will be on hand in the Tasting Room to give you an idea of what goes into making the wine you enjoy!

February 18 - 6-8PM -"Aromas and Flavors" Join us for an evening exploring the aroma of wines with Assistant Winemaker "In Training" Amy McCormick! Amy will be on hand while guests have an opportunity to sample food and aroma extracts while unraveling the descriptions of some of our most popular wines! Ever wondered where we find blackberry in the "Nachise", or what cassis is? Come by and find out!

March 18 - 6-8PM - Tasting Room Manager and Burning Tree Cellars Winemaker, Corey Turnbull will be on hand to give his unique perspective of winemaking.