The answer is that it can, in subtle ways. Letting your wine “breathe” in a decanter softens harsh tannins and releases its full bouquet. The more space there is in the decanter, the more air can reach the wine. Thus a narrow, tall decanter would aerate more slowly than a wide decanter with a large bowl. The use of a stopper would affect the aeration as well because the stopper prevents air from getting in, slowing aeration. The opening at the top can make a difference too as this is where the air flows. The larger the opening, the more aeration.

In January we launched our first Decanter Design Contest, calling on our customers’ creative juices to design an elegant and exciting new decanter for us. Our first and second place designs are great examples of how a decanter shape can affect aeration.

Our winning design was a fluid-catamaran-like form with ample room for wine aeration. This decanter is expansive, allowing for faster aeration.

Our second place winner designed a more compact decanter which permits gentle swirling without exposing the wine to excessive air.

One design allows for faster aeration by spreading the wine across a great surface area and the other is a slower process, in a more compact vessel. You might use the first decanter for a young, tannic wine that requires tremendous aeration and the second for a soft wine that requires less. The most important thing is choosing a decanter that is functional and looks beautiful on the dinner table! By the way, congratulations to our winners: Eric Hwang, Mark T. Maclean-Blevins and Bozena Wysowski!

Browse our full selection of elegant decanters here 

An aerator and a decanter both serve a similar purpose which is to expand the surface area of wine, which allows the air to mingle with it. Whether placing the wine in a larger vessel (decanter) or forcing air to be circulated throughout it (aerator), the end result is a wine with an expanded aromatic profile and/or softer tannins.  So, what’s the difference?

The difference is time. If you have limited time to spare and you’d like your wine to be softer, a handy aerator will do the trick in minutes. A Vinturi or Respirer for example, is held above your glass while you pour wine through the top of the aerator. As the wine flows through the aerator, it “breathes” as bubbles are sent through it. An aerator is therefore more appropriate for casual meals, where time is of the essence, but quality of experience is important as well.

When time is on your side, and you’re preparing a more leisurely meal or inviting over guests, a decanter is the best solution. A decanter is often used with a funnel that aerates wine as it is poured into the decanter. The wine then rests in the decanter until you are ready to serve it, opening and changing all the while. Wine can stay in a decanter for hours without spoiling, it all depends how much air it needs. Presenting wine in an elegant decanter for guests may be a more special experience for company, than using an aerator.

Aside from the time you have available, it’s also important to note the age of your wine. A very old wine (10+ years) should not be aerated but the sediment must be removed. If you’re serving an old wine at its peak, it won’t benefit from aeration, as it’s fully developed. The more an old wine is exposed to air the sooner it will start to fade. The wine should be decanted off its sediment just prior to service.

Do you prefer to use a decanter or an aerator? Or do you keep both on hand depending on what time allows? Leave a comment, and let us know!

Over the years we’ve carried decanters of all shapes and sizes: horizontal, vertical, duck-shaped, antique, modern and even giraffe shaped! Now we are looking for some fresh ideas, what would YOU like to see in a decanter shape? The new decanter should be both beautiful and functional.

If you have a unique idea, submit it via JPEG to Contest@WineEnthusiast.net and you could win:

• a Grand Prize of $1,000
• a 1-Year Subscription to Wine Enthusiast Magazine 
• Tickets to Toast of the Town in New York City, America’s Premier Wine and Restaurant Tasting Event. 
• Have your design featured at Toast of the Town and in Wine Enthusiast Magazine, read by thousands of business professionals every day!

Calling all wine lovers with an eye for artistry, now is your chance to create a revolutionary new wine product, enter today! Or maybe you have a friend who may be interested? Pass on the link love! For more details visit our contest page, here.

Decanters are essential for enhancing the flavors of a young wine or for removing sediment from an old wine. There are all kinds of shapes and styles available but you may be wondering: “What do I do with it?” There are two simple methods of decanting:

1. Decanting a young wine, to aerate it
• Take out your decanter, funnel, and wine. Open the bottle of wine.
• Affix the funnel to the top of the decanter and pour a slow stream of wine through the funnel. Watch as your wine cascades from the sides of the funnel and into the decanter.
• As the wine goes through the funnel and the surface area of your wine is spreading, the wine is aerating, changing its aromatic properties.
• Once the full bottle is poured into the decanter you can remove the funnel from the top of the decanter, and pour from the decanter into your glasses.

2. Decanting an old wine, to separate the sediment
• As tannic, red wines age, the sediment often conglomerates, forming unwanted clumps in the bottom and along the sides of the bottle. The sediment is harmless–made up mainly of grape skins–but it is usually bitter, and impedes the enjoyment of your wine.
• Old wines open up over time, as the pores in the cork allow them to breathe. Therefore, aeration with a funnel isn’t necessary for an older wine.
• Slightly angle your decanter and slowly, pour the wine into the decanter so that only the liquid pours through, leaving the sediment behind in the bottle. Discard the bottle and sediment, and pour the wine from your decanter into glasses.

Now that you understand the basics of decanting, you may need some help selecting the perfect decanter to suit your needs. In this brief video, we explain some of the different styles available, and their benefits. Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Do you have any special decanting techniques? Please share your story, with us!

In the world of wine, oxygen is both your friend and your enemy. Wines are decanted or aerated so that friendly oxygen can slip into your wine in small doses. The oxygen, in effect, allows your wine to breathe and release newly developed aromas and flavors.

Oxygen is your enemy when you let an open bottle of wine sit on the counter and heavy doses of oxygen attack the wine, stripping it of its essences. Everything in moderation.

Find oxygen-related tools like decanters, aerators and preservation tools at WineEnthusiast.com. 

Cleaning Beads: These little ingenuous beads are tossed into a decanter and mixed with water to clean the entire interior of the decanter. Best of all, these are a one-time investment as they can be reused again and again.
 
 
 
 

Decanter Cleaning Brush: This extra long brush can reach the bottom of the tallest decanters. There’s no need to use a crummy old sponge when you have a brush tailored to your decanter.
 
 
 
 

Stem Shine: If you’ve ever been frustrated with the cloudiness that regular dish detergent can leave, Stem Shine is a great solution. Squeeze some stem shine into your decanter and scrub with your decanter cleaning brush for a perfectly clean and sparkling decanter, every time.
 
 
 
 

Drying Stand: Our decanter drying stands hold your decanter perfectly in place as it air dries. We offer various shapes for each decanter type.

Now that you’ve learned how simple decanter cleaning can be, what are you waiting for? Select a decanter that catches your eye from our wide variety, then add-on some decanter cleaning products to keep it immaculate with every use.

Have you tried any of our decanter cleaning products? Which do you recommend? Leave a comment and let us know!

Our new Vinturi Wine Aerator is a great way to discover the use of aeration before purchasing a decanter. This fun, new contraption is simply used by holding it over a glass and pouring your wine through. It quickly aerates and opens up the wine while making a fun little gurgling noise that is quite satisfying. It also won’t break the bank at $39.95. Such a great find is a wonderful way to begin experiencing your favorite reds anew and even discovering wines you thought were too aggressive until they met the Vinturi.

Although the Vinturi is a great tool, it doesn’t replace the benefits of having a beautiful decanter to aerate a full bottle of wine. It is however, a great first step towards understanding and enjoying the method of aerating wine before purchasing a decanter. Looking for new ways to understand and experiment with wine is the best way to really appreciate it to its fullest. The Vinturi is one of my favorites products and is a fun addition to any wine bar.

Here’s a quick rundown of the ins and outs of this popular sweet sensation. Yes, Port is a sweet wine and the real thing comes from Portugal, although so-called “Port” is made in many regions around the world. Port is a fortified wine, because to make it, alcohol (brandy) is added to the fermenting vats. This interrupts the fermentation because the high alcohol level kills off the yeasts. Thus, a high quantity of grape sugar remains in the wine. There are several types of Port, each with its own distinct character and proper method of handling.

Vintage Ports
The best ports are Vintage Ports. These are the Ports that collectors desire. Port, like Champagne, only declares a vintage in the best years. This ensures that Vintage Ports are always very high quality. A Vintage Port is aged two years is cask and then bottled unfiltered. Of all the great wines produced, Vintage Port may be the one that requires the longest cellar aging. Generally, 10-20 years minimum aging is recommended. After just a few years of bottle age it will start to throw off a great quantity of sediment, so it must be carefully decanted before drinking. Use a wide decanter for breathing purposes, such as the Vivid, and you can also use a funnel with a screen. Mature vintage Port is sweet, lively and complex.

Reserve Tawny Ports
The next best ports are Reserve Tawny Ports, often just referred to as “Reserve” and then a number of years; 5, 10, 20… These ports are aged in cask for the number of years on the label and then bottled. Hence, they are fully mature and ready to drink when purchased. The Port is racked off the lees when it’s bottled, so there is no sediment and these wines do not need decanting. Because they are cask aged for so long, Reserve Ports have a tawny color and a different character that Vintage port, often with a distinct nuttiness. Once opened however, these wines are delicate, so it’s a good idea to use a preservative like Private Preserve or VacuVin to keep the wine as fresh as possible. Cohelita Ports are similar to Reserve Ports but are from a single vintage. They should be handled the same way.

Vintage Character or Late Bottled Vintage Ports
What used to be called Ruby Ports are now mostly referred to as Vintage Character or Late Bottled Vintage Ports. These simplest of Ports are made from the off-year grapes either singly or blended. They are deep in color, sweet and fresh. Like Reserve ports they are not intended to age further and do not carry sediment. For elegant service you may pour one of these ports into a lead-free stoppered decanter like our Riedel Dominus and then keep it with a shot of Private Preserve until you’re ready to serve it again.
 
 
 
 
 

Port Glassware
When you’re ready to serve Port, be sure you have the appropriate stemware so that the bold aromas can be fully expressed. A Port glass has a narrower bowl so that the nose is concentrated. You’ll likely experience black currant, pepper, truffles and smoky notes that you won’t want to miss! The Riedel Sommeliers Vintage Port glass is ideal, or try some fantastic Port Sippers (see above) for parties.

What is your favorite type of Port and how do you serve it? Leave us a comment, and let us know!

Wineries can and do add a step in processing called cold stabilization. Here, they chill the wine down to near freezing, causing the tartrates to precipitate out. Then they filter the wine to eliminate them.

The higher quality a wine is, the more likely it is to have tartrates. This is because good wines are not cold stabilized, filtered or over processed, in order to preserve the intricacies and subtle character of the wine.

If you’ve ever seen these tartrates, you may have wondered what to do about them. Well, one thing you can do is absolutely nothing. Tartrates are completely tasteless, odorless and harmless, so there’s nothing you really have to do. However, if you don’t like having these little crystals floating at the bottom of your wine glass you can simply decant your white wine as you would an older red using a funnel with a screen. Our own aerating funnel with screen is a great example. It may seem odd to filter a white wine, but that’s the one sure way to eliminate tartrates.

Do tartrates bother you? Leave a comment, and let us know!

When pouring wine into a decanter, some aeration naturally takes place. For most white wines and light tannic reds, this amount of aeration may be sufficient. Young tannic reds often need more air than this basic transfer allows. Pouring them through an aerating wine funnel is the best way to increase their aeration and soften their tannins.

Mature, full-bodied red wines rich with sediment also benefit from decanting, as do vintage ports. Unfiltered wines (a newer trend) especially need decanting. With the help of a screened funnel, decanting separates the sediment from wine, purifying its color and taste. (Sediment is the organic matter from grapes that collects in the bottle as wine ages).

Decanting a mature or unfiltered wine requires a little more care. Start by standing the bottle upright in a cool dark place for a day or two. This allows the sediment to settle to the bottom of the bottle. Uncork the bottle, removing all of the foil; you will want a clear view of the inside of the bottleneck. It’s also a good idea to wipe the bottleneck clean, inside and out. Fit your decanter with a mesh-screened funnel and pour your wine in a gentle, steady stream, keeping a keen eye on the bottleneck. When you see unwanted sediment creeping in, you may be nearing the end of your pour. A quality screened funnel should catch any sediment that does sneak through.

To assure your wines are sufficiently aerated, open them before your guests arrive. A young wine requires a good hour or two in a decanter, while an older wine needs only 15 to 30 minutes to breathe.

How do you normally serve wine? Do you use a decanter? Is serving wine a grand event in your home? Leave a comment and share some stories!