I’m with Benedict regarding the microwave & red wine. 30/40 secs, bottle on it’s side with cork in but foil removed. Then stand it up for half hour or so on kitchen worktop to even out warm spots. Obviously not for anything with a sediment.
Decanter: I use TWS decanter (which seems to have vanished from website) it’s great, and fits in the dishwasher. Because it’s not all posh I can use it all the time.
I decant all reds into a jug,leave for a bit,then back in the bottle. I find this works for me. I should perhaps point out that the wine I buy is usually at the cheaper end of the market and usually New World.
So is there any need to age wines for years in cellars? Just pop in the microwave then let the decanter do it’s voodoo magic. 
Couldn’t find an emoji for voodoo sadly.
I decant everything red and white, especially fuller whites.
I definitely decant fuller whites, but it never occurred to me that I should do it with leaner/lighter whites. What’s the logic behind it?
Firstly, not all wine is ageworthy or has the structural makeup to age.
Secondly, ageing wine in the cellar and decanting are two completely different things.
Ageing can be done in vessels before bottling and the wine will extract flavour compounds to add to the complexity of the wine should the winemaker decide to age in barrel, new or old.
If the wine is bottle maturing in a cellar than the wine is integrating the aroma compounds, tannins and acidity. This can take some time to develop.
Decanting allows oxygen to bind with chemical compounds in the wine opening it up as such and helping tannins to appear smoother and more integrated with the rest of the wine. So particularly useful in younger wines. It also allows any SO2 to dissipate and/or any other gasses which may have been used prior to bottling.
Personally I wouldn’t decant lighter fruit driven wines, given the majority of these wines are made without the addition of oxygen but with SO2 to preserve these flavours and aromas. Decanting will only serve to do the opposite and remove them. IMHO, I wouldn’t decant a fruity SB but I would an already Oxidised Vina Gravonia Tondonia or full bodied white 
It’s obviously personal preference (which might be psychological) but even with lighter/ leaner whites I find oxygen adds a rounder/fuller quality to the taste. This may be only slight. Sometimes there is a harsh attack - which some people might call refreshing - that disappears with a bit of air exposure. this might be only ten or fifteen minutes decanting.
If wine’s a ‘living thing’ then it needs to stretch itself after its cramped confinement before being drunk. I know that sounds like old-fashioned wine writing probably eschewed by the WSET’s more objective approach but there’s room for many views.
Potentially fragile wines I’m more cautious with (I’ve some '85 red Burgundy) and then it might be only a 30 mins decant.
Couldn’t have put it better. And I’m always interested in a bit of orthodoxy-bashing
But seriously, these are some interesting points that you raised… thanks for the food for thought!
I have a blog with another WS community contributor (Richard Morris) called Talk the Cork. It’s been going a long time and we often mention decanting times when we write.
I know. I read it regularly 
Blimey, I didn’t know anyone actually read it!
Well, I can only speak for myself! So you got at least one reader. I do enjoy it - and it gives me some ideas for wines to try.
I’m another one, even if you spend too much time reviewing Spanish wines and not enough on Pinots 
I too decant everything… INTO MY MOUTH
Ah I see. So decanting isn’t a short cut. I will practice patience.
But not in one go i hope.
If you’re going to be drinking 2 bottles of the same wine, and once you’ve checked they’re not faulty, is there any reason not to put them in the same large decanter?
I wouldn’t do it, but it’s a mental thing for me. Bottle variation? If you feel comfortable do it.
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