A couple of weeks ago my cousin told me about an article he read describing this whole decanting wine in a blender craze, and if I thought that it would actually work. I have seen a few different pieces on this ‘hyperdecanting’ fad where you can use handheld devices, or even blenders, to aerate a wine in a matter of seconds. It stems from the same premise as many of the aerators out there which expose wine to as much air as possible allowing them to open up in a flash.

So will putting wine in a blender work? Yeah…If you pour a bottle of wine into a blender that could use a good amount of aeration and hit the switch it probably will do the job. But is it worth it? Do you really want to take something as beautiful and delicate as a bottle of wine and toss it in the same device in which you make your smoothies and protein shakes? I know I don’t… here’s why.

First off, there’s certainly a chance it may damage the wine and minimally will give it some form of a froth. But more importantly, wine is a living and breathing thing…constantly evolving from the day it is made until the time it is consumed. It will also most likely gracefully improve as the wine sits in your glass. Personally, I love to experience how a wine changes in a matter of minutes from something tightly wound up and guarded to a fully expressive and complex treat for all the senses. By allowing it to whip around a blender like a kid on the Rotor,  you could miss one of the best transitional moments in the life of that wine thereby negating the overall enjoyment.

So I would say this… open a bottle, pour a little in a glass and give it a good sniff to take in all those delightful aromas. Then take a sip, swirl it around your mouth and let it linger on your palate before letting it go down. If it feels like there should be a little more to the wine then grab an aerator or decanter to help it open up a bit quicker. But if you have the time to wait, just pour yourself a glass and slowly enjoy it over time and you will notice how a really well made wine will slowly transform and mature to its fullest potential. As for the blender… probably best to leave that for the morning to make your favorite homemade hangover concoction.