How to Use a Wine Decanter

To use a wine decanter, pour the bottle slowly into a clean decanter and leave the wine to breathe before you serve it. The time to leave it depends on the style of wine.

How do you decant a bottle of wine?

Pour the wine slowly into a clean decanter, stop at the sediment and let it rest before serving. The steps are below.

1. Open the bottle and check the decanter is clean and dry.
2. Pour the wine slowly in a steady stream into the decanter.
3. Stop pouring when sediment reaches the neck of the bottle.
4. Leave the wine to rest for the time that suits its style.

Tilt the decanter so the wine runs down the inside wall. Pour near a light so you can see the sediment reach the neck. Serve from the decanter into your glasses.

Why decant wine at all?

Decant wine to give it air and to leave any sediment behind in the bottle. Wine Folly says decanting introduces oxygen and releases aromas and flavours.

Older reds often leave sediment in the bottle. A slow pour keeps that sediment out of the glass. A young red has little sediment and is decanted for the air.

How long should you decant each style of wine?

Wine Folly gives 30 minutes for reds such as Pinot Noir and 3 hours or more for full-bodied reds. Its guide to how long to decant wine sorts wines by time. The table uses its groups.

Wine Folly group	Examples	Decant time
30-minute reds	Pinot Noir, Malbec, Sangiovese, Zinfandel	About 30 minutes
Medium reds	Cabernet Franc, Dolcetto, Montepulciano	About 1 hour
60-minute reds	Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo	60 minutes or more
Full-bodied reds	Aglianico, Barbera, Sagrantino	3 hours or more
Old dry wine (20+ years)	Aged wines	Just before serving
Full-bodied, cool-climate whites	White Bourgogne	About 30 minutes

Taste the wine as it breathes. Serve it when the aromas open up.

When should you skip decanting?

Skip decanting for most white wines. Wine Folly says most whites do not need it. It warns that decanting a highly aromatic white may harm it. A young wine with no sediment that tastes open straight from the bottle can also go straight into the glass.

How full should you fill a decanter?

Fill a decanter with one standard 750ml bottle. The supplier of the rotating decanter recommends one bottle. The iceberg decanter holds 1.6L. The rotating decanter holds 1.5L. One bottle leaves plenty of air above the wine in either.

The iceberg decanter is clear glass with a wide, flat-bottomed cone body and a narrow neck. A small iceberg shape rises from the base.

What is the pourer plug for?

The pourer plug adds air as the wine pours out of the iceberg decanter. It is a stainless steel insert in the neck. The supplier calls this a waterfall aerator decanter and gives the steel as 304 grade.

The plug lifts out. Take it out to wash the neck and rinse the plug separately. The iceberg decanter costs £49.99.

How does a rotating decanter work?

A rotating decanter sits on a tray and spins when you turn it. The spin swirls the wine. The supplier says the rotation speeds up decanting. Turn it gently so the wine does not splash over the rim.

The Rotating Glass Wine Decanter stands about 26.5cm tall on a tray about 20cm across. It has a diamond-cut pattern with gold detail and a glass stopper. The supplier states the glass is lead-free. It costs £99.99.

What is the difference between a decanter and an aerator?

A decanter is a vessel and an aerator is a device. A decanter holds the wine while it breathes. An aerator adds air as the wine passes through it. Use an aerator for a glass you want to pour at once. Use a decanter for a bottle that needs a longer rest or has sediment.

The iceberg decanter combines the two with its pourer plug. The rotating decanter relies on the spin and the time in the vessel. The table sets out how the two decanters differ.

	Iceberg decanter	Rotating decanter
Capacity	1.6L	1.5L
Stopper	Stainless steel pourer plug	Glass stopper
Extras	None listed	Gold-rimmed tray
Packed weight	Not stated	About 3.2kg

How do you clean a decanter?

Wash a decanter by hand in warm water and let it drain dry upside down. Neither supplier gives care instructions.

The gold detail on the rotating decanter is painted. Do not scrub it. Wash the glass stopper apart from the decanter body. Let every part dry fully before you put the stopper back.

What do you need besides a decanter?

You need glasses and coasters to stand them on at the table. The Marble-Effect Ceramic Coasters are a set of six with cork bases, sized for mugs and glasses.

Which one to choose

Choose by how you serve wine.

• A decanter with a pourer plug: the iceberg decanter.
• A decanter that spins on a tray: the rotating decanter.
• Something under the glasses: the marble-effect coasters.

Decanters, coasters and the rest of the barware are in Home Decor.