Decanter carafes

Start with the base. The wider and flatter it is, the more wine comes into contact with air. That’s what you want with a young red wine that’s still closed. The 150 cl Air Sense for red wine and the 200 cl Invino are made exactly for this. An old wine should get as little air as possible. In that case, choose a narrower 75 cl decanter with a straight shape.

Choose the size next. A bottle holds 75 cl. A decanter of that capacity will be completely full, leaving little room to swirl. If you want a young wine to open up quickly, choose at least a liter. Also consider the neck. A wide neck makes pouring easier and is easier to clean; a narrow one limits evaporation. Some models, such as the Mixology by Luigi Bormioli, have an airtight stopper. If you’re specifically looking for a Schott Zwiesel decanter, filter by brand.

A young red wine only needs twenty to thirty minutes in a wide decanter. Longer rarely helps, and after a few hours, it actually starts to lose its fruit. Pour it in steadily, let the wine run down the sides, and swirl the decanter once or twice. Does the wine still smell closed after half an hour? Then it’s not going to open up any further.

Handle an old wine differently. Stand the bottle upright for a day so the sediment settles to the bottom. Then pour it in one smooth motion and stop as soon as you see the first cloudiness in the neck. Hold a small light underneath and you’ll see the moment clearly. A sangria is also easy to make in a spacious decanter, and for a batch of stirred negroni a decanter with a stopper comes in handy.

A decanter shouldn’t go in the dishwasher. The neck is too narrow, the shape too irregular, and dishwasher detergent leaves crystal glass with a cloudy film that you can never get rid of. Rinse it immediately after use with lukewarm water, without soap. Remove residue with a long brush or a splash of vinegar, and let it sit for an hour.

Drying is the hardest part. Leave the decanter upside down to drain on a drying rack. On a tea towel, the neck stays damp and smells musty within a day. Polish the outside with a lint-free cloth, holding the decanter by the body, not the neck.

If you're looking for a carafe for water or juice to put on the table rather than for wine, browse all carafes. For spirits with a cut-glass stopper, a whiskey decanter is the better choice. If you already have the carafe and are looking for matching glasses, browse red wine glasses or the larger large wine glasses. A regular dish brush can't reach a narrow neck, so glass brushes are actually quite useful for a decanter.