Instructions

1. Place a piece of cheesecloth over the opening of the decanter. Use a wide mouth decanter and secure the cheesecloth with a rubber band. Do not stretch the cheesecloth taught. The cheesecloth should sag slightly into the opening of the decanter. The rubber band should be tight enough so that the cheesecloth does not come loose while pouring the wine during filtering.

2. Pour the wine slowly over the cheesecloth. Pouring the wine slowly ensures that the wine does not spill and aerates the wine. Aerating the wine lets the wine breathe and brings out all the nuances of its flavor.

3. Rinse the cheesecloth if it becomes clogged with sediment. Some older wines will have a lot of sediment that will clog the cheesecloth and make it difficult to filter. Rinse the cheesecloth under cold water to remove the sediment. Dry the cheesecloth by wrapping it in a clean kitchen towel and pressing down. Do not place a water logged cheesecloth over the decanter or it will ruin the flavor of the wine. Replace the cheesecloth, secure with a rubber band, and continue filtering the wine.

4. Let the wine breathe after filtering. After you have filtered the wine using the cheesecloth, let the wine sit in the decanter for a few minutes to further aerate. Aerating is especially important for red aged wines. Aged wines need extra time to breathe to bring about the best nose (smell) and palette (flavor) the wine has to offer. Pour the wine and enjoy with a favorite meal or fruit and cheese.