You may have seen a wine aerator at one of your family members homes while you were visiting for dinner or seen one on the display at the store and wondered what the purpose is of these pretty glass ornaments. While they are beautiful and fun to have a look at they do have a function which goes back to the early Roman History when red wine was the most popular libation of the time.
Originally wine decanters were made of glass that the Romans forged and were a excellent method of pouring wine at the table which was normally kept in large containers. The Ancients were the first to notice that their wine tasted much smoother when served from these containers which would eventually be discovered to be the process of aeration. After the decline of the Roman Empire wine decanters were mostly made of metal such as brass and silver as the art of glass making was briefly lost. Once the method was re-discovered the glass plug was introduced in the mid 1700′s to stop heavy exposure to oxygen after the wine had been completely aerated.
The Twin Purpose of the Wine Decanter
Decanters serve multiple purposes in the wine presentation process. The 1st and original function was to filter sediment from the wine which was extraordinarily commonplace in the beginning of wine making. This is not very common today as the wine distilling process has evolved but is still handy occasionally when you get a bottle of wine that was poured off the bottom sediment. Thanks to the larger diameter of the wine decanter the weightier sediment has an easier time falling to the bottom and away from your pour. The other point of the wine decanter is to aerate the wine which is the method of introducing oxygen to a younger or heavier wine. Aeration is most typical with heavier wines with lots of tannins like a Bordeaux or Merlot and isn’t advocated for more delicate wines such as a Pinot Noir.
Wine decanters come in a selection of styles and sizes and the styles are varied as much as your inspiration will allow. The most common styles are tubewine decanters, shaft and ball wine decanters and duck wine decanters. All decanters are built to hold at minimum a 750ml bottle of wine and generally the wider the decanter then the more volume the wine has to breathe which ends up in quicker aeration.
Fancy Wine Decanter
We recommend that you use your own style and taste to pick a wine decanter. There is not any magic formula and most wine aerators will serve the function they were reserved for. As with all things concerning wine your personal taste is always the most important factor in picking out your decanter.
James Warneck is President and CEO and wine lover at Wine Buff Warehouse, the online leading seller of wine decanters and wine accessories. For more ideas on wine enjoyment and history or to buy gifts for your favorite wino, visit their internet site www.winebuffwarehouse.com
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