To enjoy wine according to the canons of wine tasting, it is not necessary to go to a restaurant, you can achieve this at home using the right accessories. Let's try to understand such a concept as a decanter for wine, how to choose it, use it, and take care of it. The history of this vessel is rooted in the distant past, even the Romans liked to drink wine from beautiful elongated jugs - amphoras. He is popular even now.

So what is a wine decanter? This is a special vessel, usually made of glass and having the following proportions: narrow part, wide part, neck. A jug or decanter for wine is a decanter.

Why decant wine

By decanting the drink, we achieve several goals:

1. It's beautiful and aesthetic. Wine poured into an exquisite vessel looks much more interesting on the table than an ordinary bottle.
2. When transfusing a liquid from a decanter, you can also use a suspension in the wine.
3. Saturation of the drink with atmospheric oxygen. This will help the wine to reveal its unique bouquet and rich color.

Which wines should be decanted

This process has a different effect on different types of wines.

Important! Do not take on the decantation of rare wines. This work can only be done by experienced specialists, and they will not always undertake such a procedure. The risk of significantly degrading the quality of the product is very high.

If you are not the owner of rare wines, feel free to experiment!

The most suitable drinks for this procedure are wines made from red grapes, but decanting white wine is also possible.

• Aged after decantation will get rid of tartar and sediment accumulated during storage;
• Young decanted wine will become less tart in taste due to the reduction of tannins in the drink, this will happen due to aeration;
• will become even softer and more tender in taste;
• Ripe white and red wines will be saturated with atmospheric oxygen;
• It is possible to decant sparkling wines in order to rid them of excessive gas content.

Decanting technology

There are rules that govern how to properly decant wine.

The mature drink is poured from the bottle into a narrow-necked decanter. This is done with confident, gentle movements so that the sediment does not get inside the vessel.

Young wine, unlike mature wine, is sent to the vessel as sharply as possible, so that the drink is enriched with atmospheric oxygen.

There are some subtleties that should not be forgotten, namely:

How to choose the right decanter

When purchasing a decanter, it is important to consider a number of points:

• Why do we need it, for what type of wine;
• What is the container made of. The best properties of decanters are recognized for crystal, although a well-made vessel of glass will also do;
• The important factor is the price. Prices on the market range from 1,500 rubles. up to 1,000 dollars.
• And of course the design. A special carafe can be functional and decorative with various inserts and embellishments.
• When purchasing, inspect the decanter for damage to the vessel, including the absence of seams, chips, cracks and other defects.
• The surface must be absolutely smooth.
• The neck must be the correct shape.

1. Thin brush for washing.
2. A special stand for drying the decanter in a vertical position.

How to care for your wine decanter

In order for the decanter to serve us for a long time, it is necessary to properly care for it.

Before decanting, the decanter flask must be put in order.

1. The decanter is strictly forbidden to be placed in the dishwasher, wash it only by hand.
2. Do not use aggressive cleaners that have a strong odor. This may affect the quality of the drink.
3. For washing, use a special thin brush and soft linen napkins.
4. It is recommended to dry the decanter upside down.
5. If plaque is found on the walls of a special decanter, it is necessary to pour a small amount of table vinegar into it, pour a few pinches of any cereal (preferably rice, pearl barley, buckwheat). After that, carefully shake the decanter until the plaque completely disappears. Drain everything carefully, rinse several times with boiled water.

There is a wide range of decanters on the market today. It is worth seeing the decorative decanters for Riedel wines, depicting various animals. Such a vessel would be a wonderful gift. Spiegelau, Vivo products are made of crystal glass.

You should not buy decanters from unknown manufacturers, as the risk of buying goods from low-quality glass is too great.

Why table wine has such a name and how it ...

And most importantly, why? I won’t say that it’s a direct necessity of course, but ...

The word decanter comes from the word decanting, which means the mechanical separation of liquid from sediment. A decanter is a container, a carafe, made of very high quality glass with a long narrow neck and a wide rounded base.
What is a decanter for?

Red and white wines need to be decanted for several reasons.

First: red wines are made from red, blue, and black grapes. Coloring substances in the skin of grapes give color to the wine, but the longer the exposure of the drink, the more the coloring components give a precipitate, this sediment is also called "cream of tartar". A decanter is used to separate the wine from the sediment.

Secondly: the wine needs to be enriched with oxygen. The wine decanter helps the drink to “open up” and sparkle with unique flavor notes. Young red and white wines have no sediment. For them, decanting is used only to fill them with oxygen and improve the taste and aroma.

Thirdly: for aesthetic purposes - to bring wine to the table with a special charm, to emphasize the sophistication of the drink and the romance or solemnity of the event. True connoisseurs of good wine attach great importance to the quality and shape of the decanter decanter. The vessel is almost not decorated in order not to distract a person's attention from admiring the drink. An oxygen decanter can only be seen with an unusually shaped handle, stand, or lid. For decoration use gold, silver or cupronickel. Sometimes the decanter is illuminated with a candle so as not to miss the moment when the sediment approaches the narrow part of the decanter and to show the beauty and sophistication of the wine.

Decanting Cognac and Whiskey

In addition to wine, cognac and whiskey are filled with a bewitching aroma and color. To "open" these drinks, decanting is applied to them at the moment when they are served at the table. The appearance of the decanter is very different from the classic wine decanter. As a rule, it is a rounded or square decanter with extended "shoulders" and a low neck, made of glass or crystal. This type of decanter allows drinks to be enriched with oxygen, heat and show all their splendor of aroma and taste.

If a bottle of another good aged wine has appeared in your house, remember that after you have opened the bottle, you need to let the drink brew so that the fermentation gases come out freely. It is recommended to leave the bottle open for several hours ...

Electronic decanter-aerator

In order to speed up the decanting process, a decanter-aerator comes to the rescue. It will ensure the saturation of the liquid with oxygen and the removal of harmful vapors immediately in the process of pouring! The decanter-aerator has several types: it can be an aerator in the form of a nozzle for a bottle with several holes, made of high-quality acrylic, as well as a magic aerator, consisting of a stand, a strainer, a funnel, a funnel holder and a funnel bag. The magic aerator has a strict, noble appearance.

The electronic decanter prepares the wine for drinking in 15 seconds. Electronic control, backlit digital display, unique carafe shape and innovative aeration system preserve and improve the taste and aroma of all wines, cognacs and whiskeys at a level that surpasses traditional decanting technology many times over.
Knowing what a decanter is, you can safely use it, and if you wish, you can purchase it for purely personal romantic evenings. And let every day of your life become a holiday!

In fine restaurants gravitating towards aristocracy, you may have seen how a sommelier serves wine to guests after pouring it from a bottle into a special decanter. Among experts, this procedure is known as decanting, or decanting. Today we will find out what decantation of wine is - an indispensable element of serving a drink or simply a beautiful tradition.

The decanting process consists in slowly pouring the drink into a special carafe (decanter) in order to saturate it with oxygen and separate it from the sediment. Expensive red wines (rarely white ones) accumulate sediment after several years of aging. This is a sign of really high quality (for example, a grape variety such as Cabernet Sauvignon can deposit an impressive amount of sediment), as it indicates that the drink has not been over-filtered and has not lost its former aroma.

On a note! Today, there is no consensus among winemakers regarding the purpose and purpose of decanting wine. In addition, even what kind of drink should be served in a decanter, and which can be poured directly from the bottle, remains controversial.

The custom of decanting wine originated a long time ago - several centuries ago, when glass vessels were a luxury. In those days, wine was stored and sold in barrels, and in view of the fact that only wealthy people could afford such a purchase, the drink was served to the table beautifully, in exquisite vessels. The transfusion ritual did not have a clear sequence, however, it took root and survived to this day. Later, when glass bottles were already in use, the drink, according to the rules of good manners, was still served in decanters.

What wines are decanted?

As noted above, mainly red wines are subjected to decanting. Although some varieties of white wines, "saturated" with oxygen after this procedure, can truly reveal their exquisite bouquet. All wines are different, and the need for decanting depends not only on age, but also on the grape variety used in the manufacture, the place of collection and the quality of the drink itself. For example, young wines (not only red, but also white, rosé, individual ports, champagne and Madeira) can do without it. Moreover, for drinks made from grenache or pinot noir, decanting can even hurt, because due to an excess of oxygen, they lose their freshness and aroma. But old ports and wines from Bordeaux must be decanted due to sediment.

Another reason wine is decanted is sediment, which not only spoils the appearance of the drink, but can also “squeak” on the teeth. The decanted drink is clean, it does not contain sedimentary particles that form in some bottles.

On a note! By the way, the sediment itself is absolutely harmless, and in red wines it is even a kind of indicator of high quality.

Cheap “store-bought” wines that have neither taste nor aroma do not need aeration, because, in fact, there is nothing to disclose here. Although it is worth noting that today there is a trend towards a decrease in filtration: even in the middle price range there are wines that have not been filtered (Australian, Chilean). You can determine it by the inscription non foltre or unfiltered on the label.

Video - Why wine is decanted

Wine decanters

Despite the great variety, all decanters can be divided into two large categories (everything else is just the result of design fantasies).

1. Decanter for wines requiring intensive aeration. Such vessels have a narrow high neck and a wide lower part. Due to the sharp narrowing in the middle part, the entire spectrum of aromas is stored until the drink is served to the table, and the large area of ​​contact with air allows the bouquet to open up in the best possible way. Usually, decanters of this shape are used for young wines that have not fully developed.
2. Decanters for old, noble varieties that do not need aeration(it occurs through the cork during the exposure period). In this case, the contact area does not play a special role, so the forms for aged drinks can be very diverse: amphorae, traditional decanters, "ducks", etc. When transfusing elite expensive varieties, it is necessary to use a vessel with especially smooth outlines so as not to damage the fragile structure drink (the latter may “exfoliate” and not demonstrate the bouquet achieved during aging).

Regardless of its shape, the decanter must be made of high-quality crystal glass. The most famous manufacturers of decanters are Riedel and Spiegelau. Vessels from Riedel (Austria) are real works of art that are intended for aesthetes and true professionals.

And the Spiegelau company from Germany has been manufacturing glasses and decanters for over 5 centuries. Spiegelau's products include a huge number of items and, more importantly, are available to a wide range of consumers. Thanks to this, even a novice winemaker or just a drink lover can decanting wine at home.

Video - Decanter Riedel, 1370 ml

How wine is decanted: detailed instructions

First, let's talk about some wines that curdle slightly after opening the bottle. For example, the Piedmontese barolo, which contains a large amount of tannins, does not show its taste richness for several hours, which means that, apart from irritation on the tongue, you will not remember anything else. But after a while, the bouquet begins to manifest itself, becomes stronger, and, in the end, you are enveloped in aromas of strawberries, truffles and violets mixed with autumn leaves.

Before decanting wine, you need to prepare everything you need.

On a note! The last point is optional, although many people use a candle when decanting red wine. The fact is that its (candle) light allows you to see at what point the sediment will approach the neck of the vessel - evidence that the transfusion should be stopped.

At least a day before serving, a bottle of wine is placed horizontally so that the sediment sinks to the bottom. This will make it easier to separate.

Step 1. First, the crystal vessel, with which the wine will be decanted, is thoroughly washed and rinsed with hot water.

Step 2 Immediately before decanting, the sommelier shows the client a bottle, announcing three positions - the manufacturer, the appellation and the year of collection.

Step 3 The capsule under the ring is cut off, the neck is lightly wiped, after which, using a lever corkscrew (the so-called sommelier's knife), the cork is removed approximately ¾. If the drink is aged, then the capsule is recommended to be completely removed in order to be able to see the sediment. At the end, the cork is carefully removed by hand, and this must be done in such a way as to avoid the characteristic pop.

Step 4 The cork is inspected, after which it should be smelled and determined if there is a “cork smell”. Then the cork is placed on a special saucer, which is placed on the client's table. Immediately after removing the cork, the neck of the bottle is wiped again.

Step 5 When the bottle is uncorked, the drink should be tasted in order to:

• determine if it needs decanting;
• make sure it is of high quality;
• find out if the serving temperature is correct.

Step 6 Now you can start decanting the tasted wine. The decanter is taken by the bottom or neck. When pouring a drink into a vessel, care must be taken to ensure that the sediment remains in the bottle. The procedure is carried out in one long movement, while the neck of the decanter should be above the light (candle) so that sedimentary substances can be monitored. When they get close to the neck, you need to stop. Decanter rotates clockwise

The duration of the procedure depends on the degree of exposure, although on average it is no more than 15-20 minutes.

On a note! If a young wine that has no sediment is decanted, then many sommeliers still light a candle for beauty. You can not extinguish a candle in the room where the client is! Otherwise, the pungent odor resulting from this will prevent you from fully enjoying the drink.

Video - Decanting wine

By the way, in expensive restaurants, sommeliers tell customers whether one or another type of wine needs to be decanted, and they also say how long before serving this procedure should be performed. If necessary, they decant the drink right in front of the client.

As a conclusion. Once again about the need for decanting

Let's pay a little more attention to the discussions among the masters of the wine business regarding whether it is necessary to saturate the wine with oxygen. Proponents of decantation are sure that the “dose” of oxygen helps the drink to fully open up, become more alive. If after opening the bottle the taste seems inexpressive, then why not saturate the wine with oxygen and check whether it has really opened up?

But the opponents of the procedure believe that due to decanting, the wine quickly loses its taste, and to saturate with oxygen, it is quite enough to rotate the filled glass a little. Moreover, it is much more interesting to watch how the taste of the drink is revealed right in the glass (during aeration, these phases can be missed).

That's all. Drink alcoholic beverages correctly and - more importantly - do it in moderation! Good luck!

A wine decanter is not just another element of wine culture, it is the only tool that can bring out the right taste and aroma of a drink. And if there is a lover for the savagery of unaerated young wines, then drinking exquisite aged wine, not removed from the sediment, is like having a bite of tender white Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio meat seasoned with chili pepper. There will be a taste, but is it the same taste?

A decanter is a special vessel for wine, which is sometimes mistakenly called a carafe, designed both to separate the separation of liquid from solids by draining it from the sediment - - decantation -, and to saturate it with oxygen - aeration. The product is part of the culture of "correct drinking of wine".

How is it used

A wine decanter is needed to prepare the drink for the manifestation of its best flavor and aroma properties, which cannot be achieved without the use of dishes of this format.

For which wines

Decantation is subject to any wine except rare. Its composition is very complex and vulnerable, and due to transfusion, the flavor and aroma properties of the drink can deteriorate significantly. Decantation has a different effect on other varieties:

• The red reveals its fruity tones, helping to soften the tannin aftertaste.
• White varieties acquire greater softness and tenderness.
• If the wine is aged, the product will help to separate the liquid from the "tartar" - a pigmented precipitate formed during aging.
• For young varieties, the decanter helps to breathe - oxidize, as a result, the content of tannins decreases, and the taste becomes clearer, cleaner and not so tart. The product can act as an alternative, while the rate of oxygen saturation will not be as fast. After filling the vessel with young wine, it can be swung from side to side or in a circle to speed up the process, of course, this cannot be done with a mature drink.

Did you know? A young drink can be "decanted" in a carafe of a long curved shape. Vessels of this type are intended only for aeration, they are not suitable for removing from the sediment.

Methodology

Each type of wine undergoes decantation in different ways:

• When pouring a mature drink from a bottle into a wine decanter, in order to reduce the amount of sediment from which the liquid will drain in the future, it is worth holding a candle at the neck of the bottle, the flame of which will help to see the approach of small particles from the bottom. Mature wine is aged in a vessel for a short time, after which it can be carefully and without haste poured into glasses, leaving part of the sediment that has penetrated from the bottle at the bottom of the dish.
• To speed up aeration, young varieties are left in the vessel for a period of 30 minutes to 2-3 hours without pouring into a decanter at a bottle with a simply open neck, this process will take many hours. To fill the dishes with young wine, unlike aged wine, you need to sharply pour it from the bottle, so the liquid will be more enriched with oxygen.

Small subtleties

When using a decanter, consider the following:

• The vessel must be thoroughly cleaned of wine residues, dust, fingerprints, etc. before use.
• Before pouring the main portion, the inner surface should be rinsed with a small amount of drink.
• White varieties do not decant in narrow containers.
• You need to pour alcohol so that its level does not reach the narrow part.
• Not every wine is mature even after 8-10 years of aging. For example, Bordeaux varieties remain young after 11 years and are decanted in wide vessels.

Did you know? Whimsical varieties, like pink burgundy, are best decanted in a classic-shaped dish - a vase or amphora.

What are the types

A standard wine decanter is a glass or crystal product that holds one or two liters of liquid, but it only costs 0.75 and 1.50 liters to be filled, respectively, which contributes to convenient use and better functionality.

For the young

Most of all, an unripened drink needs aeration, and therefore the body of the vessel must have a significant expansion in the lower part, a long neck and a funnel neck. At the same time, the wider the vessel, the faster oxygen saturation will occur, and the elongated narrow neck helps to preserve the aroma until the drink is poured into glasses. The funnel-shaped neck is necessary for the twisting of the jet, which in turn enhances aeration when pouring liquid into a glass. It is optimal to use a 1.5-liter decanter for a 0.75-liter bottle of wine, then the liquid in it will be below the point of maximum expansion.

Did you know? For "port wine" it is better to purchase a decanter made in the form of a corkscrew. This feature helps to keep the wine from spoiling, which prolongs the period of consumption of the drink after it is poured from a bottle into a vessel.

For mature

A noble drink does not need aeration, for it this process occurs slowly, through a cork over the years of aging. Therefore, the decanter does not need a wide body for it, and various solutions are suitable to eliminate the resulting sediment: spherical and in the form of ducks, amphorae or a simple decanter with a narrow neck. For refined varieties, special vessels are created with many smooth bends that protect the fragile aroma and taste from distortion.

Did you know?“Deposit” is a confirmation that the wine is of high quality, of course, if it is “tartar”, and not the consequences of broken technology or low-quality ingredients.

For whites

White varieties are characterized by saturation with sulfur dioxide that enters the liquid during the production process. As a result, the best decanter for white wine is a wide spherical vessel with a cylindrical neck and a cone at the top to narrow the jet. In this case, the cover in the design will not be superfluous, but not mandatory. After filling the dishes with wine, it is advisable to put it on ice.

How to choose the right

When choosing a decanter, it is important to consider a number of factors in order of importance, and the most important when choosing a decanter for wine are:

• For what type of drink the dishes are intended: young or old.
• Material: crystal has optimal properties, although high-quality glass also provides all the necessary functionality of the product.
• Price. It is largely determined by the eminence of the brand, which guarantees a high class product. A quality glass decanter for every day costs from $50 to $100, although the price of professional crystal products reaches $1000.
• Design. Models can be conditionally divided into functional and decorative. In the second case, the cost increases not because of the useful properties, but because of purely aesthetic features. The product can be decorated with inserts of inert metals: gold, silver, cupronickel.

In anticipation of the purchase, it is worth inspecting the product for:

• lack of chips and cracks;
• the correct form of the neck: narrow and funnel-shaped;
• cleanliness of surfaces, monotony of the color of the material, the absence of streaks and stains;
• perfect surface smoothness, without sagging, seams or other defects.

In addition, it is better to immediately purchase related products for the decanter:

• brush for cleaning and washing;
• stand for storage and drying;
• drop catcher;
• funnel.

Wine is a very complex and specific drink, distinguished by a variety of taste and aromatic properties and having an extensive culture; it is not so easy to learn to understand wines. The decanter belongs to an advanced or, better to say, refined area of ​​this culture, without it it is impossible to properly prepare the wine for serving and consumption, and therefore, to feel its real taste and aroma.

A wine decanter is a special vessel or decanter made of glass into which the drink is poured before serving. It provides the liquid with the ability to breathe and be saturated with oxygen, which means that it fully reveals its taste. In addition, an elegant vessel of a bizarre shape always attracts attention and is able to turn a tasting into a beautiful ritual.

Decanter and decanting - what is it

Before opening the bottle, it must not be shaken so that the sediment does not mix with the liquid. The contents are poured slowly, in a thin stream, so that the liquid flows along the wall of the decanter. Experienced sommeliers often use a lighted candle to illuminate the neck of a bottle and notice the approach of sediment in time. This helps not to pour it into the decanter.

The contents of the bottle are poured not only to separate the tartar. Most often, this procedure, called aeration, is done to saturate the drink with oxygen.

Which wines should be decanted and in which decanter

Decantation is not carried out for every type of alcohol. For a rare drink, this can even be fatal. Such species have such a complex chemical composition that transfusion can destroy their structure. A rare drink does not need a special vessel for wine. It is enough for him to stand calmly in an open bottle for some time.

And young wines just need it. They have a high level of tannin and slowly open their bouquet.

Decantation is necessary, first of all, for aged red drinks and ports to saturate the wine with oxygen. Some varieties of white are able to fully reveal their bouquet only after the procedure. If a sparkling drink has an excessive intensity of carbon dioxide, the process of pouring will help get rid of this. If necessary, the procedure is better to use a vessel with a lid, resembling a damask in shape. In some cases, it is more appropriate to use a spiral object.

How to choose and care for an accessory

When choosing a decanter, you need to know what kind of wine it will be used for. For young species, you should choose dishes with a wide bottom. The neck should be narrow, expanding upward, similar to a funnel. You can also choose a more complex model.

In mature wine, the decanting process has one goal - the removal of sediment. Therefore, it is not so important what area the container will have. It can be in the form of an amphora or a decanter. But it would be more correct to opt for a duck-shaped vessel with a narrow neck and a wide base. To fully emphasize the beauty of the drink, you need to choose a transparent decanter.

As for care, you can wipe the wine vessel with a napkin only from the outside. It should be washed by hand, rinsing with plenty of clean water, using a brush if necessary. The use of abrasive detergents is prohibited. Plaque that appears inside the accessory is easy to remove with vinegar and rice grains. During cleaning, you should slightly shake the container so that the rice gradually cleans off the cream of tartar. Rinse with boiled water after cleaning.

For drying, use a special, vertically or inclined, pin. Storage space must be chosen separately from the rest of the dishes.

The decanter should always be kept clean. It should not have cracks or chips. In addition, it should not have foreign odors.

Basic rules for decanting wine

The decanting process is subject to several rules and depends on the type of drink. The main thing in this process is a clean vessel for wine. The bottle before the procedure must be kept for some time on a special stand. This will help the sediment to fully collect on the bottom.

After the drink has settled, you can proceed to the transfusion. First of all, it is necessary to rinse the vessel with a small amount of alcohol. This will eliminate possible foreign odors. You need to pour carefully, without rushing. The device must be held at an angle so that the liquid flows in a continuous stream and flows down the wall. When the sediment approaches the exit, you should stop. Even if a small part of the sediment got into the vessel, it will be clearly visible after it settles.

Aged drinks should be poured as slowly as possible, avoiding splashing. With young people, you can speed up a bit.

After a properly carried out procedure, a clean wine with a pleasant aroma and taste will appear in the decanter. Do not leave it for a long time in the vessel. For the full disclosure of the bouquet will be enough 1-2 hours.