The length of sobering time of a decanter mainly depends on the age, variety, and characteristics of the wine. Generally, the sobering time can range from ten minutes to three or four hours. Red wine that has not yet reached maturity has heavier tannins, so it is best to pour it into a shaker and wake it up for 1-2 hours. Red wine that has just reached maturity can wake up in half an hour. If the vintage of a wine is particularly old, such as those that have been aged for 20 years or more, there is no need to wake up, or only about 5 minutes before drinking, to avoid damaging the already fragile flavor of the old wine.
Awakening can make a young wine round and smooth, making it comfortable and enjoyable to drink. But if time is not well controlled, a long sobering time may cause the wine to lose its fresh and refreshing taste, and lose its vitality. For aged wine, it is important to be particularly careful when decanting, as a slight mistake may cause it to lose its precious aroma and kill a valuable wine.
It is worth noting that aged wine not only requires control over the decanting time, but also has requirements for the pouring method. In summary, tilt the decanter to slowly pour the wine along the wall of the decanter, and immediately cover the wine stopper after completion.