Crystal

Decanters

Decanting and airing the wine
Time leaves sediment (deposit) in vintage wines and ports. Using a decanter is essential to separate the sediment from the wine, to " air " the liquid and allow a gradual opening of the bouquet. In young wines, the blending process and tannin assimilation are improved by decanting and airing the wine.

Funnel and aerator, necessary tools
The use of a funnel fit with a filter is recommended to decant vintage wines. A filtered-funnel holds back the sediment that could otherwise be poured into the decanter, and disturb the limpidity of the wine.
Indispensable for oxygenating young wines and ports, the spiral aerator, or the multiple openings model, is more suitable. It spreader screw enables the wine to run easily along the sides of the decanter, which speeds up oxygenation and development of the bouquet.

A Sparkling clean decanter
Decanters should be washed in hot water using no detergent, and left to drain, upside-down on a decanter draining rack. If you do not have such a rack, insert inside the decanter a large piece of absorbent paper tightly rolled up in a mesh-like shape. Ten hours or so later, the paper will have absorbed the water droplets and the humidity. (If stains appear after many uses, read Practical Tips on lime and wine stains on our web site.)