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What are Wine Decanters Used For


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Much emphasis is placed on proper wine storage and consumption of wine. Because of this emphasis, great effort is put forth to create tools and accessories to perfectly store and serve wine. As many wine lovers can attest, there is a great deal of legitimacy in the ceremony of wine enjoyment. Wine coolers were created in an astonishing range of style and capacity to perfectly cool wines. These wine refrigerators can chill white wine and red wine separately to further heighten the quality of the wine. Wine bottles have been developed to limit the wine’s exposure to sunlight, thereby preserving its fine characteristics. Even wine glasses are designed with the perfection of wine tasting in mind. Serving wine is also an art form. Wine collars and stoppers add flare and help keep the wine from unwanted waste and alteration.

Wine decanter is another wonderful invention that aid in bettering the flavors of wine before drinking. Wine vessels and decanters have been around for centuries and are integral parts of most cultures. Decanters have been made of nearly every material available to mankind that can hold liquid. From gold to bronze, silver to glass, decanters are not only functional but have become works of art. Many wine vessels and decanters dating back hundreds of years are now very valuable and can be found in famous museums of art.

Decanters have practical application related to wine drinking in addition to aesthetic and historical appeal. First, decanters allow easy serving of wine; most decanters can accommodate more than one bottle at a time. This is especially useful if guests are involved. Additionally, decanters allow the aeration of the wine. This technique is particularly effective with red wines or wines rich in tannins. White wines do not typically benefit from aeration and can, in fact, be ruined by too much oxygen exposure. Aerating wine, also known as allowing it to breathe, helps the wine to bloom. The oxygen mixes with the different aromatic chemicals in the wine and can not only reduce some of the tannin or Malic acid harshness, but also work to release more of the aromatic components.

The body of the decanter is usually wide with plenty of surface area. This allows the air to gather in the bowl of the decanter and penetrate a greater amount of wine simultaneously. The top portion of the decanter, spout and neck, are narrower and tapered to diminish the amount of dust and natural air particles that can settle in the wine. An alternative to a decanter is swirling the glass of wine before drinking it which, much like a decanter, works to release aroma and tone flavor. Also, there are aeration spouts and pourers that fit directly on the wine bottle opening to mimic the effects of lengthy decanting by allowing the rapidly flowing wine to mix with oxygen as it’s poured. For wine connoisseurs, decanting and aeration pourers can noticeably increase the enjoyment of fine wines.


How to choose great dessert wine


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Dessert wines come in a variety of flavors and are made from equally as many sugar sources. There is no standard way to make a dessert wine and the only characteristics they seem to share is their acute sweetness and need for chilling. Some dessert wines are made from grapes, others from raisins or strawberries. Yeast tend not to be choosy with the sugary meal presented to them; they will metabolize and ferment almost any saccharide to produce ethanol. Dessert wines have been enjoyed for centuries in most corners of the world. Generally, cultures would use the wild fruit abundant in a particular area and allow the ambient yeast to work its microscopic magic.

A particularly great example of a dessert wine with such longevity is mead. This sweet honey wine concoction has been made and consumed by Europeans for eons. In fact, mead is considered the ancestor of all fermented beverages. Mead is typically made with water, honey, and yeast; it’s also probably the easiest alcoholic beverage to produce. Mead ranges in characteristics depending on the quality and origin of the honey and length of the fermentation period. Finished mead can have a relatively high alcohol content and be surprisingly carbonated. Mead is usually chilled in a wine cooler or refrigerator before serving.

Another group of delicious dessert wines are the fortified wines such as port and sherry. Genuine port is produced in Portugal and typically aged longer than most traditional red or white wines. Port is usually presented in two varieties; tawny and ruby. Tawny port is the result of red wine grapes fermented in wooden barrels. Because wooden barrels are not airtight, the wine is slowly exposed to oxygen during the long aging period. This oxygen exposure and evaporation causes a change in the color of the port which is described as tawny. Tawny ports are often described as having nut flavors and are typically sweet and medium dry. Contrastingly, ruby ports are fermented and aged in airtight stainless steel vessels which prevent oxidation. Thus, the port retains the dark red color of the grapes. Ruby ports are sweet, rich, and generally have a strong nose.

Muscat grapes, although not specifically classified as a dessert grape, are often used to make the fortified dessert wine Sherry. Additionally, certain varietals of Muscat are used to make the sweet and delicious Muscato wines. These wines are generally labeled orange muscat or black muscat depending on the grape used. Fine muscats are highly desirable and can accentuate a detailed dessert or standalone as the sweet finish to a gourmet meal.

Regardless of the dessert wine chosen to round out a wonderful meal, it is important to use proper wine storage and chilling techniques. Many wine coolers are capable of chilling red and white wines separately and these same temperatures apply to dessert wines. While red grape dessert wines can be served slightly warmer, the white grape desert wines and fortified dessert wines should be served more chilled. Adequate wine storage can ensure precise aging of dessert wines and guarantee you will enjoy all the flavors and aromas they have to offer.