Wine glossary: Serving

Serving terms

Decant

To pour wine from its bottle into another container, giving it air and separating it from any harmless sediment. Helps bold young reds open up and older reds pour cleanly.

Breathe

To let a wine sit in contact with air after opening so its aromas open up and any harsh edges soften. Bold young reds benefit most.

Sommelier

A trained wine professional, often in a restaurant, who helps you choose wine and pairs it with food. A good one is a friendly guide, not a gatekeeper.

Corkage

A fee some restaurants charge to open and serve a bottle you brought yourself. Worth asking about if you’d like to bring a special bottle.

Oxidised

A fault where too much air has spoiled the wine, dulling its fresh fruit flavours and turning it flat, with a bruised-apple or sherry-like taste. White wines also go browner in colour.

Volatile acidity

A fault where the wine develops a sharp, vinegary smell, sometimes like nail varnish remover. A tiny amount can add lift, but too much means the wine is spoiling.

Brettanomyces

A type of yeast that can grow in wine and give it barnyard, sweaty, or sticking-plaster smells. A little can add character, but a lot is usually considered a fault.

Sediment

Harmless gritty bits that settle at the bottom of a bottle, mostly in older red wines. It is natural, not a fault, but most people prefer to leave it in the bottle rather than the glass.