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Most people don’t aerate wines. Many people that do, just assume that they only need to let red wines breathe before consumption. And, for the most part, white wines do not need decanting, and letting a delicate white sit in the air too long can dull its fresh, fruity character. However, some full-bodied whites can benefit from a short decant. Keep it brief, taste as you go, and be careful with older bottles, which oxidize quickly.

These wines include:

• Young, full-bodied white Burgundy (made from Chardonnay)
• Other full-bodied Chardonnays, such as oaked ones from California or Australia

White wines should be served at a cooler temperature than their red cousins, so the trick, should you choose to decant a white wine, is that you don’t want to leave it out too much that becomes too warm.

There are all kinds of contraptions for decanting and aerating your wines, but for white wines, you can find some reasonably priced aerators (Amazon) and decanters (Amazon).