Category: Food & Wine

Decanters – just for show!

Recently we discussed why you may need to use a decanter for removing sediment from a bottle and for helping the wine to breathe. Sometimes the size and shape of the vessel makes a difference to how it affects the wine. A traditional rounded decanter is fine if you are just removing sediment but sometimes a ship’s style one, with a large flat base, is required if you want the wine to breathe.

On occasion, however, you just want a decanter that holds the wine and looks pretty on the table. Designers have come up with all sorts of weird and wonderful designs. Here are some of my favourites.

What do you think of them and which would you have on your dinner table?

Glass Tank by Kouichi Okamoto

A bit of a novelty. But it means you’ll never have to get up to fill up your glass. Your arm may get a bit weary, mind.

Decanter that’s also a glass

Glass Tank

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cobra Decanter by Riedel

Practical and beautiful glassware

Cobra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dragon Decanter by Riedel

I’d have this one on the dinner table even without wine in it.

Dragon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainman by Skruf

This may not look that impressive on the table but when you pour, that’s when it’ll get an ‘ooooh’ from the crowd.

Rainman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scientific Carafe by Earl

Geek is officially cool.  So, this decanter based on a conical flask is right up our street. Only down side is you can clearly see how much you’re drinking.

Scientific

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roots by Etienne Meneau

Now, this just looks fantastic. What a way to show off wine. Known as ‘Carafe No. 5′, this is just one of the weird and wonderful creations Etienne has produced. They’re limited edition so snap one up if you like it. See the whole range here.

Roots

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by The Perfect Cellar

 



Category: Food & Wine Tags: ,

Wine Decanter – Why should I use one?

The Question is asked quite a lot about whether or not to use a decanter when serving wine. The answer very much depends on what you are using it for and what sort of wine you have. The experts at The Perfect Cellar will show you the reasons to use one, designs of decanter and how to maintain it.

Wine Decanter

Removing Sediment with a Decanter

One of main reasons you may wish to use a decanter is to remove the sediment that may have formed. The older the wine is, the more likely it is to throw a sediment. This is more true of red wine than white wine as the skins are used in red wine making. Imagine the colour in wine is just teeny tiny particles of grape skin that give the wine its colour. As the wine gets older these particles fall out of suspension and fall to the bottom as sediment. For older wine it is always worth using a decanter to remove this sediment.

Also there are more and more wines available now that have undergone minimal or no filtration and/or fining (fining clarifies the wine, filtering then removes the bits). This means there are still ‘bits’ of grape in the bottle that again, will fall to the bottom as sediment. Most wines made like this will mention it on the label so use of a decanter is advisable. It is also wise to put organic, biodynamic, and natural wine in a decanter for this reason.

When pouring wine into a decanter for this purpose pour slowly and towards the bottom of the bottle, turn the bottle as you pour so that the sediment gets trapped in the shoulders. A good tip is to have a candle behind the bottle so as you pour you can see the sediment collecting. Remember, if you do end up with some sediment in your glass, it is totally harmless. Think of it as solid bits of wine, everything in it is intrinsic to the grape. It’s just like if a teabag has split in the pot.

Visit The Perfect Cellar for some of the latest fine wines on the Market here and keep your eyes peeled for new tips on what wines to pick and how to store them.


Category: Food & Wine Tags: ,