Wine Decanter
A decanter is a vessel that is used to hold the decantation of a liquid (such as wine) which may contain sediment. Decanters are normally used as serving vessels for wine.
Their use promotes the aeration of wine by maximising the wine-air interface, thereby introducing more oxygen which improves the wine's bouquet and taste.
They also can make wine pouring easier by preventing dribbling. Decanters are important when serving older vintages which are more likely to accumulate potassium bitartrate crystal sediment in the process of aging.
Decanters vary in shape and design. They are usually made of an inert material (such as glass) and will hold at least one standard bottle of wine (0.75 litre)
Wine decanting process
Liquid from another vessel is poured into the decanter in order to separate a small volume of liquid, containing the sediment, from a larger volume of "clear" liquid, which is free of such. In the process, the sediment is left in the original vessel, and the clear liquid is transferred to the decanter.
Decanters have been used for serving wines that are laden with sediments in the original bottle. These sediments could be the result of a very old wine or one that was not filtered or clarified during the winemaking process. In most modern winemaking, the need to decant for this purpose has been significantly reduced to where not as many wines produce a significant amount of sediment as they age.
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