Even if you’re just a casual wine drinker, you've likely seen or heard about wine being decanted in a tall glass carafe. But then you might be thinking that it's all just for show, like something they only do in the movies or at fancy parties for pure presentation. But if you've ever heard that a wine needs to “breathe,” then you know that wine reacts to air. Aeration has been shown to enhance a wine's flavor by softening the tannins and releasing gases that have developed in the absence of oxygen while being bottled. Decanting, which is the process of slowly pour a wine from its bottle into another vessel, not only introduces this air but removes bitter sediment. The result? A more robust and flavorful wine.

Marissa Ross, Bon Appétit's wine editor, says decanting is like stretching out your legs after a long flight—the extra space and fresh air takes the edge off the juice and allows it to mellow out a bit. “They've been literally bottled up for months—maybe years—making their flavors tight, edgy and not at all enjoyable.” And this works for all wine. Even the sub-$10 bottles you score at the grocery store. In fact, that's the easiest, no-cost way to improve the taste (and make them a whole lot more presentable at the table). And contrary to popular wine lore, Ross says “decanting isn't just for reds—whites and rosés can also benefit from being decanted, especially natural wines that are more susceptible to volatile acidity and reduction.” Ready to drink? Here are a few of our favorite decanters to get you started.