Decanter Science

While it is clear that decanting a wine softens and improves it, what happens to the wine on the molecular level?  That is, why does merely sitting in a crystal wine decanters change a good wine so much?  The changes to a deep red wine can be so dramatic that it can seem like some form of wine magic, but science can quickly explain all that is going on here.  Most of the change to a wine while it decants comes from mild oxidation and some evaporation. While it seems like decanting softens the tannins, it actually does nothing of the sort. But the slight oxidation that occurs does makes the tannins seem more fitted to the rest of the flavors and aromas in the wine; the reason for the smoother illusion. Also a little bit of evaporation gets rid of some of the rubbing alcohol or other unpleasant tastes that are caused because of too much alcohol in the wine.
                This amazing and totally natural process called decanting is truly a gift for wine fans, but certain types of wine flourish in decanters while others only twinkle a little.  Reds love decanters while whites can be rather indifferent to them, and of course there is no point in putting a sparkling wine in a decanter. But that is just a general rule; try anything in a decanter for a good experience.