wine decanters

Wine decanters

When it comes to a new bottle of wine, there’s one important step between corkage and enjoying a glass: decanting.

Decanting wine means slowly pouring from original wine bottles into different containers without disturbing the sediment at the bottom, mainly with red wine.

Wine is then decanted into a glass vessel (lead-free crystal is best) with an easy-pour neck and wide base, like a wine carafe or wine decanter. Examples of decanter styles include the swan, cornett, duck which come in small, medium and large sizes.

By transferring the wine from its bottle to another jug or decanter, rather than pouring straight into wine glasses (preferably a crystal wine glass), you will allow some air to your wine and open up the flavours and aromas to their full effect. The easiest way to decant is by using our stainless steel wine decanting funnel, a great gift idea and a must for any wine lover.

So, what is the difference between a wine aerator and the decanting process?

A bottle stopper or wine aerator pourer is fitted onto an open bottle of wine, like a speed pourer on a spirit bottle. When the stopper is fitted into the open wine bottle and wine is poured, it runs through the aerator and out into the glass, which allows the process to take place instantaneously.

While both serve to allow oxygen to interact with wine, the key difference is time; decanted wine can take much longer, which if you’re pouring an older wine, is absolutely necessary.