Hyperdecant your red wine in a blender

Posted on March 27th, 2012 by James Higham

Haiku comments: “Pardon me while I throw up on the keyboard,” but you know, I’m stroking the chin and thinking, “Hmmmm.”  Anyway, here’s the blurb:

Former Microsoft CTO and master chef Nathan Myhrvold suggests a method he calls “hyperdecanting”. Sounds fancy and high-tech, right? It’s basically shorthand for “put your wine in a blender for a minute and it’ll taste better”.

Just about anyone who enjoys an occasional glass of wine will initially recoil at the idea. (I did.) Wine has an almost mystical quality for most of us, and surely only an unsophisticated fool would dump a perfectly good bottle of wine into a blender. But Myhrvold takes a scientific approach to food, the culmination of which can be found in his insane $450 book Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking, and in an article last year in Bloomberg Businessweek, he explains his method:

I just pour the wine in, frappé away at the highest power setting for 30 to 60 seconds, and then allow the froth to subside (which happens quickly) before serving. I call it “hyperdecanting.”

Although torturing an expensive wine in this way may cause sensitive oenophiles to avert their eyes, it almost invariably improves red wines—particularly younger ones, but even a 1982 Château Margaux. Don’t just take my word for it, try it yourself.

Gauche yahoo?  Moi?

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18 Responses to “Hyperdecant your red wine in a blender”

  1. Moggsy, on March 27th, 2012 at 11:59 Said:

    Well it does make some sense..

    You allow red wine to breathe and maybe swirl it in the glass to make it easier to get a hit of scents from it.

    Zapping it in a blender would sure let it breathe and if it’s not swirling I don’t know what is.

    Sounds quite fierce tho.


  2. A K Haart, on March 27th, 2012 at 12:16 Said:

    Will gargling have the same effect?


  3. James Higham, on March 27th, 2012 at 12:34 Said:

    Moggsy – we could have a blender winefest.

    AKH – presumably but is it as much fun?


  4. dearieme, on March 27th, 2012 at 13:00 Said:

    If someone would be good enough to pass me a bott of Ch Margaux I’d happily try it out. Anyone?


  5. Moggsy, on March 27th, 2012 at 13:38 Said:

    James, to seriously try it you would probably have to pre blend some cooking wine first to make sure there was no hint of food that was blended before… like maybe a mix for thyme, onion and parsely stuffing. I expect a purist would want a blender just for the wine?


  6. Dickie Doubleday, on March 27th, 2012 at 14:10 Said:

    hi,james

    I have decided to change direction with my blog , because of your previous postings on the blog .it’s obvious you will not meet the standard that i will require for a more hard hitting lobbying approach. i have decided to cull the weaker posters to give the blog a new look and to be more credible.

    Thanks for your input in the past.

    Dickie


  7. James Higham, on March 27th, 2012 at 14:52 Said:

    Thanks for this, Dickie. We’re currently collecting all your IPs and sending them for investigation. So happy you could drop by. Always welcome.

    Moggsy: “I expect a purist would want a blender just for the wine?” Most likely.

    Dearieme: You’d do that to a Mothe de Margaux? ;-)


  8. plonker, on March 27th, 2012 at 15:12 Said:

    you can achieve the same effect by pouring the wine from the bottle into a clean jug.


  9. James Higham, on March 27th, 2012 at 15:35 Said:

    As in decanting, yes?


  10. Longrider, on March 27th, 2012 at 15:57 Said:

    Heh! This doubledickehead twat really thinks he is inconveniencing me. He appears to have mistaken me for someone who gives a shit. IP noted, thanks. :D


  11. Moggsy, on March 27th, 2012 at 16:32 Said:

    I think it is more extreme than just decanting. So not reinventing the wheel exactly. I am not advocating it, just discussing it.


  12. Rossa, on March 27th, 2012 at 18:36 Said:

    What sort of blender should I use? Hand held stick blender, liquidiser, mouli or maybe one of those new soup making machines, a blender combined with a tap…..wine from a blender rather than a box. As it also ‘cooks’ the soup I guess a mulled wine would be a better option.

    For a more extreme example maybe you should use a sodastream and really pump the air (CO2) in and create your own cremant, prosecco, champagne, fizzy wine!

    Will it catch one….don’t think so.


  13. Twilight, on March 27th, 2012 at 19:07 Said:

    Not being a little ol’ wine drinker myself, I can’t add much here, but reading this post and comments brought to mind an expression of my grandfather, back in Yorkshire, long ago. When describing someone who really enjoyed their tipple:

    “Eee lad – he’d sup it oot of a boot!”

    Things change – now he’d need a blender too.


  14. James Higham, on March 27th, 2012 at 20:02 Said:

    Hmmmmm.


  15. Moggsy, on March 28th, 2012 at 06:45 Said:

    Rossa… There are some very nice sparkling reds, no need to gas it.

    It is usually made with Shiraz (or if you are a Frankophile, sirrah) variety using the Champaign method and drunk lightly chilled.

    Banrock Station is quite nice.. mmmm….


  16. Rossa, on March 28th, 2012 at 08:49 Said:

    Moggsy….it was said tongue firmly in cheek.

    I find the sparkling reds a little too sweet for my taste even chilled, though I am keen on Shiraz (Syrah), Grenache (Granarcha), Tempranillo, Malbec and Merlot for smooth easy drinking. Love a Barolo and an Amarone too. Not so fond of Cab Sauv these days as the ‘oakiness’ is not something I enjoy anymore. It is also typical of Old World wines and in that sense a bit more old fashioned.

    Basically, I like red, big and fruity……..just like me! :-)


  17. Moggsy, on March 28th, 2012 at 10:25 Said:

    Rossa, I would not see the shiraz as sweet, not a lover of sweet wine, except maybe with desert. I love the body and flavours of Shiraz and quite like a hint of vanilla/oak that adds to the complexity.

    Seppelt also do realy good sparkling reds.


  18. andy5759, on March 30th, 2012 at 21:14 Said:

    I think I may try it out with some Newcastle Brown when I get home. Or maybe not.


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