Aeration: This process of encouraging a wine to absorb oxygen is also called breathing. Simply pulling the cork out of a bottle may not allow for sufficient air contact; decanting or even swirling the wine in a glass are preferred methods. The goal is to allow the wine to open up and develop, releasing its aromas into the air. Ten to 30 minutes of aeration can help open tight young red wines that are meant to age. Some wines can also develop off odors or a bottle stink that blows off with a few minutes of aeration. Since older (15-plus years) red wines are more delicate and can lose their fruit during aeration, aeration is not recommended; the wines can evolve quite quickly in the glass.

醒酒：醒酒是一个通过增加葡萄酒与空气接触而加速葡萄酒氧化的过程，也可以被称为呼吸。简单的拔开葡萄酒瓶的软木塞并不能保证葡萄酒与空气的充分接触。 将葡萄酒移入醒酒器或者摇晃玻璃杯是一个更好的方法。这样做的目的是让葡萄酒更加开放, 同时释放它的香味。10-30 分钟的醒酒能帮助年轻，青涩的葡萄酒迅速打开，相当于加速熟成的过程。另外，醒酒也可以帮助一些葡萄酒发展出更多的风味。对于一些年长的葡萄酒（15年以上），过度的醒酒会让它们失去葡萄酒的果香以及其它细致的香气。