There are times when some red wine can get left in a bottle and doesn't get drunk until many hours later or even the next day. Not often, I grant you, but when it does happen it nearly always improves the wine. There are two main reasons for this; the first is the wine gets a chance to breathe, the second is that it slowly comes to room temperature. Both of these things improve red wine. Over the years it's been the experience of just about everyone from the maker to the drinker, that red wines needs to be served around 18 degrees Celsius. In this part of the world that could just about be described as room temperature, but if you lived in Sicily for instance, room temperature would be far too hot for red wine.

The other improvement is made by letting a red wine 'breathe'. You uncork it, decant it carefully, and then let it stand for an hour or two before serving. Letting oxygen at red wine once it's been uncorked starts the process of ageing the wine quickly. Since most of the time we drink wines that are far too young, this ages the wines to maturity quicker than leaving it under the stairs for twenty years. It also allows any volatile elements to escape, elements that might contribute to bottle-stink for example. Most of the time then it improves a wine, only elderly wines don't benefit from being decanted. Once they've reached maturity they don't need further ageing.

When we drank wines that needed ageing prior to opening, decanting was common. Today we mostly drink young wines that are designed to be drunk young and decanting is rarer. But there are still wines that are made to age in the bottle and that shouldn't be drunk at all under five years of age. You can treat them right at home, but what do you do if want to order a wine like that in a restaurant? A wine that needs an hour to two to open out is hardly at its best if uncorked and poured immediately. Often it starts to taste just right as the very end of the bottle is reached.

Years ago it was common for restaurants to decant a wine in advance for you. You made your reservation, chose your wine from the list, and when you arrived it was on the table, chambred and ready to drink. Maybe restaurants that take their wine lists seriously might consider re-establishing this fine old tradition.

Wine of the Week

Cannonau, Jerzu, 2000 Riserva

This is one of those wines that needs to be opened well in advance of drinking. It's approachable enough straight from the moment that it's uncorked, but if you let it breathe and chambre it slowly you'll be well repaid for the effort. Cannonau is probably Sardinia's best-known red, it's big, beefy, high in alcohol and can stand up to any spicy dish that the Sardinian kitchen can throw at it. It's also elegant and well-structured, it's slightly oaked and the overall balance works well.

Available from Redmonds, McCabes, Deveneys RRP €16.95