Decanting comes from the verb "carafer", which in french means to aerate, and oxygenate the wine by pouring it into a wine decanter.
When it comes into contact with air, the wine releases its aromas and "soften" them. Decanting a wine is particularly useful for powerful, generous or full-bodied wines, as they have the widest range of aromas, or wines matured in barrels, as decanting helps to attenuate the intensity of the woody notes.
Wine decanters have a wide base to increase the aeration surface.
