You've seen them in restaurants and you may have even received one as a gift, but do you know what a decanter really is and when/why you should use one? What about an aerator? Can you use one instead of a decanter?Decanters came about around the 14th century as the new lead wine glasses were being perfected. After being hidden in dark green and black bottles (or even jugs) for years of aging, the intent was to show off the brilliant color and clarity of the wine.
It was, of course, also a much more elegant way to bring the wine to the table, rather than the traditional large stoneware jugs.
According to the history of wine glasses and decanters on the Christie's website:
When it first arrived, the shape was derived from the squat, short-necked wine bottle. This ‘shaft and globe’ style persisted into the middle of the 18th century when, like wine bottles, they became more vertical and cylindrical. As they evolved the shape became narrower and often took on new elegant forms. Like the drinking glasses, glass cutting and engraving were the most common methods of decoration and soon patterns and designs were found covering the entire surface of the glass. With the rise of the bottlescrew and the popularity of laying wines down for ageing, the decanter came into its own. Wines aged in the bottle were swamped in heavy sediment and it was necessary to pour the wine into another container leaving the sediment behind.
Wikipedia teaches us that decanters are used to remove sediment and aerate the wine, in addition to help pour and showcase the wine.
Decanters are important when serving older vintages which are more likely to accumulate potassium bitartratecrystal sediment in the process of aging; these can be removed both by filtering when pouring into the decanter – so that the wine in the decanter is sediment-free – or due to the shape of the decanter (flared bottom), which catches sediment. Decanters promote the aeration of wine by having a flared bottom, hence large surface area of wine, maximizing the wine-air interface, thereby introducing more oxygen which changes the wine's bouquet and taste – it also allows the evaporation of undesirable organic compounds, particularly sulfides and sulfites; this use is controversial, and some argue that this is unnecessary and harmful, with swirling the wine in the glass being sufficient and preferable.[1]
But if you just can't wait to aerate your wine in a decanter, you can purchase a wine aerator, which will speed up the process. An aerator may inject air into the wine, or it may create agitation in the wine as it is poured from the bottle. You can use an aerator and get a similar effect to decanting your wine.
Decanters are great if you plan to drink the whole bottle one evening. But if you think you'll need to store the wine for another night, a bottle-top aerator might be the right choice for you. It aerates every pour, allowing you to leave the wine in the original bottle and cork it up for later.
At WineShop at Home, we offer both decanters (classic and nouveau styles) and aerators. Both are a much more interesting shopping choice now that you know what they are for!
Liz
Visit my WineShop at Home site at http://www.wineshopathome.com/lizlathan to browse our great selection of holiday offerings, or email me at liz@morethanatasting.com to book a tasting in your home and try before you buy!
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