The business of enjoying wine is chock full of rules and rituals of one type or another. Which wineglasses to use with which wines? What to do with the cork when the waiter presents it? Why and how do I decant my wine? And many more mysteries.

As far as wineglasses go, each shape has a true scientific rationale. But in a pinch, a jelly jar works fine. When it comes to the waiter presenting you with a cork at your table, sniffing it and gently rolling it between your thumb and forefinger will make you look terribly impressive.

And now, for the question of decanting. In a nutshell, decanting merely means pouring the wine gently from the original bottle to another container. The difference between a wine that has been properly decanted and one that has not can be phenomenal. It pays to know when and how to do this.

For the most part, there are three reasons to decant.

The most common reason to decant is to use your decanter. And it's not such a bad idea. Wine is beautiful to look at, and decanters are often lovely pieces of crystal that enhance the visual display of the wine. There is no reason not to use your decanter at your table if the wine is relatively stable. Your guests will certainly enjoy looking at the deep garnet or bright straw color of the wine, and often serving from a decanter is a joy. Plus, by using a decanter, you can enjoy the wine for what it is without fussing over the label.

A more technical reason for using a decanter is to separate the wine from any sediment in the bottle. Old vintage port and many full-bodied red wines (like Bordeaux, cabernet and merlot) will accumulate sediment in the bottle as they age. Although this sediment won't hurt you or your guests, it's not very tasty, and it's not pleasant to find at the bottom of your glass. It's easy to pour off the wine and leave the sediment behind—just follow these steps:

Set the bottle upright (out of direct light and in a cool place) for 12 to 24 hours before serving. This gives the sediment time to settle on the bottom of the bottle.

Gently uncork the wine. Older wines can be tricky to uncork because the cork itself can be fragile.

Pour the wine into the decanter with the bottle sediment side down. (Generally the sediment will leave a "stain" on one side of the bottle.) Pour the wine slowly so that the bottle is never angled more than 90 degrees of the container's position.

When you see the sediment starting to pour into the container, stop. You'll probably have an inch or two of wine that is full of sediment left in the bottle.

To ignore steps three through four, use a filter. You can purchase special wine filters at your local wine shop or use an unbleached coffee filter or cheesecloth.

If you find yourself in a time crunch and want your wine to taste as if it has decanted all day, try pouring the wine back and forth between the bottle and the decanter several times. This will accelerate the process nicely.

A few words about decanters. If the aeration process depends on the wine coming in contact with air, then the best decanters allow maximum surface exposure. The most efficient decanter style is one that has a good pouring spout and a big, flat bottom. When you turn them upside down, they look like a mushroom. Beware of decanters that are too small to allow good surface wine exposure.

Decanting can also mimic the aging process in a young wine. By allowing the wine to come into contact with oxygen for a period of time, the wine will be allowed to "breathe." This contact softens the harsh tannins of young wines, enhances and releases the aromas and generally makes the wine much more pleasant.

Also, some decanters pour better than others. Ask to test drive a decanter before you purchase it. Dribbling wine all over your table and guests is so passé. Cleaning the decanter can also be a bit of an effort; try a baby-bottle brush or purchase specialized tools where you bought your decanter.

Now, a word of warning: Do not decant wines that are aged already or possibly past their prime. Some older wines (20-plus years) are so fragile that they will lose their flavors and aromas within minutes of their bottles being opened. Decanting will ruin them; however, they may need to be filtered. In this case, use a filter and pour them directly into your guests' glasses as quickly as possible.

Serving wine doesn't have to be an intellectual challenge. There are some interesting things to know, like when and how to decant, but in the end, wine is merely a beverage intended to be enjoyed with food and friends.

Wine consumption has been going on for centuries before fancy decanters, filters, crystal glasses and the like came on the commercial scene. So should you find yourself stressing over the rules and rituals of wine consumption, take a moment, have a glass of wine (in a jelly jar), and relax.

Cara Finn is the owner of The Grapevine, a fine wine and cheese store and tasting bar. She can be reached at 408.293.7574 or at info@grapevine-wg.com.