During the aging process of old vintage wine, there are high chances of potassium bitartrate sediments forming which can be removed by pouring it in a carafe or a decanter. These accessories not only removes sediments from your wine, but also are designed with flared bottoms to allow your wine to aerate and give room for other unwanted organic compounds like sulfites and sulfides to evaporate, enhancing the taste of your wine. Wine decanters also facilitate easy pouring of your wine by preventing any chances of dribbling making them convenient.
Decanters previously used to be associated only with red wine. However, with time, people are becoming more aware of its benefits and use it on younger and whiter wines. This little accessory can drastically change the taste of a flat-tasting wine with only fifteen minutes of aeration. Check the best wine decanters to witness the magic they bring.Factors to consider when buying a wine decanter
As simple as they may look, owning one requires a lot of vigilance and factoring in some important aspects beyond just the looks. And below is what you should look for in a wine decanter.
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Size
Wine decanters come in varied sizes with the most popular ones being able to hold a full 750 ml bottle. Other brands can hold a glass of wine while others hold more than one bottle of wine. The size of your decanter you will select should be determined by your wine consumption levels.
In case you cannot finish a 750 bottle in a day, it is a good idea to go for smaller sizes to minimize any chances of your wine going bad. Bigger sized carafes are ideal if you are planning to enjoy wine with a large group of people or for commercial use.
Neck design
Manufacturers feature different designs to satiate different consumer preferences. However, what most people do not know is why these accessories have different neck designs. Each design has its benefits and this will depend on what you love.
Some of the most popular decanter neck design you will find in the market today include the thin necked and wide neck models. Thin necked models do not facilitate faster aeration which means you will have to wait for long.
However, they are a great pick if you are looking forward to removing sediments from expensive wines without destroying the taste. Cleaning the thin necked decanters can be challenging but with the right tools, you can easily achieve this.
On the other hand, wide-necked carafes are a good pick for those who would love to aerate the cheap wine and improve its flavor. Unlike thin necked models that are hard to clean, cleaning a wide necked model is easy and simple. Depending on the type of wine you love enjoying, you can easily identify the best design that fits your needs.
Material
Wine decanters are made using plastic material or glass. Glass material costs higher compared to plastic but requires careful handling as glass can break easily. If you are careless or tremble hands when holding items, look for break resistant glass or go for plastic models and ensure they are BPA free.
If you love enjoying chilled drinks, consider freezer safe materials. Models that come with lids or cork are a plus and help keep your wine fresh for longer.
Surface area
Most wine decanters are designed with a wide bottom to allow faster aeration of your drinks. The larger the surface area, the faster the aeration process. Note that, decanters are not recommended to be filled with wine to the rim and filling them will interfere with the aeration process and should be avoided.
Ease of pouring
A good wine decanter should perfectly aerate your drinks and allow you to pour them easily without any mess. Slanted spout facilitates easy pouring of your drinks without any dribbles and is highly recommended.
Color
As much as wine decanters can bring a luxurious touch to your home or wine table, you should be careful with the color you choose. Manufacturers tend to color these accessories to enhance their looks but going for such models will obstruct your views.
This can be challenging especially when using small sized models. An obstructed view makes it hard to keep track of the already poured wine. For convenience, consider going for crystal clear models that are lead-free. Hand blown models add a nice touch to your table and are a good pick if you are looking forward to adding elegance.
Cost
The price of your wine decanter will be dictated by the quality of material, design, and size. If you are looking for stylish and more functional decanters, be ready to pay more.
Ease of cleaning
With time, deposits will accumulate on your carafe calling for regular cleaning. Dishwasher safe and wide-necked models ease the cleaning process saving much of your time.
Top 14 Best Wine Decanters
| Product Name | Material | Capacity | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Chateau Wine Decanter | Crystal | 32 fluid ounces | A+ |
| Vintorio Wine Decanter | Acrylic | Bottomless | A+ |
| Menu Winebreather Decanter | Glass, Metal, and Rubber | 34 fluid ounces | A |
| Savino SAV4105 Wine Decanter | Plastic | 25 fluid ounces | A |
| Bormioli Rocco Misura PZ Wine Decanter | Glass | 34 Fluid Ounces | A |
| Sagaform Wine Carafe | Glass | 67 ounces | A- |
| Godinger Dublin Wine Decanter | Glass and Lead Crystal | 750 ml | A- |
| WBSEos Wine Decanter | Glass, Crystal | 1500 ml | A |
| Zazzol Wine Aerator Decanter | Acrylic | Bottomless | A- |
| USBOQO Wine Decanter | Acrylic | 1500 ml | A- |
| HiCoup Crystal Wine Decanter | Glass | 750 ml | B+ |
| Eravino Wine Decanter | Glass, Crystal | 750 ml | B+ |
| Riedel Cabernet Decanter | Glass | 37 ounces | B |
| Bormioli Rocco Loto Wine Decanter | Glass | 43 fluid ounces | B |
1. Le Chateau Wine Decanter
Aerate your wine perfectly well and enjoy all the hidden flavors while bringing elegance to your wine table by using this Le Chateau wine decanter. The company has been known for their expertise in designing the world’s most beautiful and long-lasting carafes.
This decanter has not been left out. It boasts of its 8.5inch bottom and its perfectly engineered design, a feature that allows you to enhance the aroma, taste, and purity of your wine. In addition to having a wide bottom, this Le Chateau carafe touts of its slanted top which makes pouring your wine a breeze without any dribbles or drippings.
Though designed to hold a 750ml bottle, it tops out at the widest area giving your wine enough surface area to aerate. When not in use, this decanter can be a great addition to your bar or wine table. Its design and elegance make it a great gift idea for any wine lover regardless of their age, a great reason to surprise your loved ones and friends.
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2. Vintorio Wine Decanter
Enhance the aroma and taste of your wine from air restricting bottles by pouring a glass using this amazing carafe. Say goodbye to the long aerating process by taking advantage of this decanter which not only aerates but also invigorates your wine in real time.
Unlike any other regular decanter, this Vintorio carafe boasts of its unique and elegant design that will not only wow you but also excite your family and friends. When using your decanter, you do not require pouring all your wine inside the carafe.
All you need is to pour it straight from your bottle for it to run through the decanter into your glass. It achieves this through its air tube which is dedicated to facilitating smooth pouring of your wine from the bottle to your decanter. A large aeration chamber that has three holes and a flow regulator plate ensures your wine is perfectly aerated before being poured into your glass. Usually, the three holes are dedicated for drawing in enough oxygen, while the plate ensures wine has been well spread to optimize exposure to the air.
Through a Bernoulli Effect, the wine is then directly subjected to oxygen at the aeration stage. Before it reaches your glass, the wine is perfectly aerated with great aroma, flavor and texture giving you the freedom to enjoy better quality wine in seconds. With this carafe, no more stains on your tablecloth or any need to worry about messing up your table. Thanks to its ribbed and well-tampered rubber stopper that accommodates all wine bottle sizes. That’s not all; the spout is slanted and well notched to ease the pouring process.
Vintorio not only focuses on bettering the quality of your wine but also values customer safety. The company has achieved this by using high-quality material that is FDA approved to ensure they bring healthily, and quality wine right at the comfort of your home. The decanter parts are easy to disassemble a great feature which enables you to easily clean your carafe without much hassle.
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3. Menu Winebreather Decanter
Invigorate the greatness of your favorite wine while preventing wine drips during and after aeration with this amazing decanter. With only one simple step, Menu carafe enables you to improve the quality of your wine bringing out the best in every sip.
To aerate your wine, you only need to open your wine bottle and press your carafe on to its top. Once you have pressed it perfectly well, flip it to allow wine to pour into your decanter.
Depending on your preferences, you can enjoy your wine from your decanter or pour it back and enjoy it from your wine bottle. This feature allows you to aerate enough wine for your guests without having to wait for long.
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4. Savino SAV4105 Wine Decanter
Enjoy your wine up to the last sip by using this elegant Savino decanter. The carafe features a BPA free silicone and Tritan copolyester material. Unlike other regular carafes which only allow you to expose your wine to fresh air, this decanter keeps your wine fresh for up to one week.
So in case, you plan out for a holiday, weekend gate-away or outdoor fun, you do not have a reason to miss your favorite wine. The accessory is freezer safe and can also serve as a storage container giving you the freedom to enjoy a cold chilled wine anytime.
Unlike other wine carafes which require you to open the lid to pour your wine, this decanter lid floats allowing you to easily pour your wine. The lid is easily removed facilitating the easy cleaning process.
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5. Bormioli Rocco Misura PZ Wine Decanter
Treat your friends and family with their favorite wine or drink with this well-crafted and elegant decanter from Bormioli Rocco. Since 1825, the company has been known as one of the market leaders in the production of superior quality glassware.
This carafe boasts of its wide mouth which allows you to easily customize your drinks by adding some few chunks of fruits or ice cubes to suit your preferences. To ensure you bring elegance and enjoy using your carafe for years to come, Rocco makes use of superior quality thick ultra-clear glass that withstands the test of time.
Unlike other glass carafes which try to limit you on the type of drinks to use, this Rocco model does not. You can enjoy your hot and cold drinks and beverages ranging from wine, water, tea, coffee among others. Regardless of whether you clean your carafe daily or use it regularly, the material will never get stained or cloudy but rather remain crystal clear.
This feature allows you to leave your decanter in your dining room table to improve the elegance of the room. With this accessory, you can say goodbye to spillages or stained tablecloths. The decanter combines its classic shape with an easy to hold rim which prevents any spillages. Its perfect size gives you the freedom to cool your drinks anytime. Maintenance of the decanter is also easy.
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6. Sagaform Wine Carafe
This Sagaform wine decanter boasts of its classical design which brings refined looks right in your wine table or bar. The decanter has an oak stopper which allows you to store your aerated drinks. Most people get limited by wine decanters on the number of drinks they can pour in.
But with this Sagaform carafe, you can enjoy your preferred drink provided it is cold. The decanter has a wide bottom that can hold up to 67 ounces which is good enough to perfectly aerate your wine. Its mouth is wide and allows for easy pouring of your drinks without any mess. The material is dishwasher safe which makes its maintenance a breeze.
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7. Godinger Dublin Wine Decanter
Bringing a touch of the old country to any bar or dining table, the crystal diamond and wedge cuts truly enhance the classic Irish design of this wine decanter.
Certain to impress your family and friends, this traditionally shaped wine decanter is a two piece decanter made from 24% lead crystal to not only give it brilliance but also plenty of weight.
Standing at 12.5" tall this will hold a full bottle of wine and the topper fits comfortably enough onto the decanter to prevent evaporation of the wine, while not sealing it too tightly. After use, you will just need to wash this by hand rather than popping it in the dishwasher. This will also complement other items from the Godinger Dublin serveware collection.
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8. WBSEos Wine Decanter
Enjoy quality, smooth and tasty wine by taking advantage of this WBSEos carafe. The decanter features a U shaped classical design which excites your family and friends. At its widest area, the decanter can hold up to 1500ml of wine and aerate it fast so you do not keep waiting for long.
The decanter has been perfectly engineered to make sure you enjoy your wine up to the last sip. Its slanted spout facilitates easy pouring and prevents any mess so you are left to do what you love, enjoying your drink.
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9. Zazzol Wine Aerator Decanter
With its patented multi-stage design, this aerator decanter is a great example of form meeting function as it will give three times more effective aeration to your wine and transform it into great wine.
The design of this aerator decanter prevents you from covering any side aeration holes with your fingers when pouring and neither will it leak from the side holes. As this has a larger cavity, it also means if you pour your wine into it too quickly, it will not overflow.
When you pour wine into this aerator decanter, the wine is dispensed over a cone which then drains through 32 holes. Air is then injected into the tube before the fine leaves the bottom and into the glass. The mixing of the air with the wine allows some of the tannins to be broken down, which will prevent you from taking a sip of an overly astringent glass of wine.
This comes with an easy-fit and elegant aerator stand and because it also comes with a travel pouch along with an elegant presentation box, it is also nice for gifting as well as keeping for yourself! If you are worrying about how to clean this up after use, then no need to worry as the aerator and its stand can go straight into your dishwasher.
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10. USBOQO Wine Decanter
Made from premium hand-blown and lead-free crystal glass, this wine decanter will add a contemporary flair to any bottle of fragrant red wine.
This can hold almost two standard bottles of red wine, although you may just want to keep it to one bottle so that the best oxidation occurs. Its clever snail shape design allows air to mix with the wine so that it will distribute the aroma better while allowing the sediment to separate from the wine.
Complete with a silicone coaster to keep your table clean, this wine decanter is also easy to hold for pouring, although to keep it at its best, you may want to just hand wash it after use.
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11. HiCoup Crystal Wine Decanter
If you are looking for a truly modern design of wine decanter which will be a talking point for all your guests, then this may just be the decanter for you.
Artisan made and mouth blown, this is an elegant and delicate swan or ‘u’ shaped and balanced wine decanter which will allow your red wine to aerate. This will hold a standard bottle of wine which is poured into the decanter through the larger opening.
After leaving the wine to stand, it can then be poured out through the smaller opening where the pouring lip will allow you to pour rather than drip! You can also use this lead-free crystal glass wine decanter for other cold drinks, and it can be placed in the dishwasher for easy clean up.
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12. Eravino Wine Decanter
If you want an easy pouring and no-mess decanter then this wine decanter will certainly fit the bill. Easy to hold and pour with just one hand, this decanter also has a special cap design which you can lock your wine bottle onto.
Hand blown from lead-free crystal glass, it has a large base for the maximum contact area between your wine and the air – giving better aeration.
Able to hold a standard bottle of your favorite wine, you just need to push the spout of the wine bottle against the cap of the decanter and then flip for mess-free and easy pouring. If you do not drink all of your decanted wine, then no problem, the unique cap design means you can return the wine to the bottle just as easily and cleanly as you can pour the wine into it.
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13. Riedel Cabernet Decanter
The Riedel Cabernet Decanter is a class apart when it comes to design and functionality. The neat glass body is made to decanter young wines for several hours, giving them just enough time to bloom. The older wines will require less time before you can take a sip.
The decanter is designed to ensure the wine’s clarity and help you get rid of any deposits. The glass decanter make weighs only 0.75 pounds, with a capacity of 2.4 pounds. This is enough to serve a group of your friends comfortably.
The decanter also cleans really easily. All you have to do use a bottle cleaner to get rid of any stains or deposits inside the bottle. It is safe to go into a dishwasher every once in a while. But the product has a soft surface so handwashing is recommended to keep the original look intact.
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14. Bormioli Rocco Loto Wine Decanter
Bormioli Rocco Loto Wine Decanter is an incredible piece offering equal parts elegance and durability. The product is made of thick and sturdy glass material that promises to serve you for a lifetime. It can hold up to 43 fluid ounces, ideal to decant a large wine bottle.
Despite its durable body, the product is pretty lightweight, making it relatively easy to maneuver. It is also dishwasher safe. However, in order to keep its smooth surface intact, the manufacturer recommends handwashing. It also offers a stopper, so you can store wine in it for a long time.
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Benefits of using a wine decanter
Improves the taste of your wine
The reason why wine lovers like using a carafe is due to their ability to enhance the taste, even for the low-quality wine
Ability to customize your drinks
Wine bottles have a small top which restricts you from customizing your drinks. Wine decanters are designed with a bigger opening to allow you to add ice cubes or fruit chunks when needed, giving you the freedom to enjoy your drinks just the way you love them.
Versatile
A wine carafe has many uses other than aerating wine. Due to their classical designs, these accessories can be a great addition to your dining table or bar counter. In addition, you can also serve other drinks depending on the manufacturer recommendations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the purpose of a wine decanter?
Wine decanters serve several purposes but they are primarily used to elevate flavors by aerating wine. That is, they let the wine breathe before you indulge in a nice glass.
The process entails releasing several types of gas from the wine that may have developed while it was stored away from oxygen. Decanting is generally used for older wines, as they are more likely to develop sediments over the long course. Decanters allow the wine to breathe and enhance the aroma. It increases oxygen exposure in your drink, softening its taste.
How long can you leave wine in a decanter?
Wine decanters come in all kinds of sizes and shapes; some in larger base, while there are some decanters that are bottomless altogether. You can store wine in decanter bottles to enhance the pleasure of a glass.
Most decanters do the trick really fast. You won’t have to decant the wine for any longer than 25 to 30 minutes. However, if you plan on storing some wine on the decanter, it better not be for too long. Wine tends to go stale if stored for too long after a bottle is opened. The ideal time to store wine in a decanter is from 2 to 3 days, considering it has an airtight stopper. Any longer than that might prove to be counter-productive.
Conclusion
It is beyond any reasonable doubt that pouring your wine into a decanter makes a huge difference regardless of the type of wine you like enjoying. These amazing accessories are known to enhance the texture, flavor, and quality of your wine and for those who have given them a try can testify how amazing it is to use a carafe.
Though the market will offer different brands to choose from, every model is unique which at times makes choosing the best wine decanter a daunting task especially if you are new to wine. While quality is one of the factors that dictate how long you will enjoy using your carafe, consider your personal preferences and what you would like to use your decanter for. This will allow you to compare how different model features will help you achieve this.
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