I need a wine decanter
February 17, 2010
I need a wine decanter - the plastic jug at home is tainted with traces of JIK and Handy Andy so I’m in the market for one.
So what should I go for - I’m looking for some advice because there some weird and wonderful designs out there, all at varying price points.
Is it even necessary to have a wine decanter or is it just another one of those wine snob “makes my wine appreciation look fancy” type of accessory?
I’ve seen some at Mr Price that go for about R15 or so - it’s just a simple glass jug but should do the job.
Then again it’s hard to ignore the beauty of something like this - A Riedel Cornetto which costs R1200.
But quite easy to ignore this stupid design - have you ever tried to pour wine out of one of these - awkward and tricky to say the least (and they are surprisingly popular - why?)
What decanter do you use at home - if any at all?
Posted in Gadgets
February 18th, 2010 at 12:59 am
I don’t have one, never thought it necessary. I like to look at the bottle, unless of course you’re trying to hide the fact that you’re serving Tassies, which I never do. If my guests don’t like that I’m serving Tassenberg they don’t have to have it.
OK, seriously, how gorgeous is that Riedel? Or you can go silly with these http://the-strange-decanter.blogspot.com/
February 18th, 2010 at 11:19 am
Nick one of your mum’s flower vases, their glass, aesthetically pleasing and they do the job quite OK, or get a big glass jug so that the wine can get a little “lug” and you can put it in the fridge. Decanting wine is great fun, when doing a blind tasting - especially for those wine ponces who need to see the labels in order to taste quality!
February 18th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
hahah good idea affie.
adele - i actually really like this one: http://albumcarafe6.blogspot.com/
ps. a friend of mine emailed to ask if this funny u - shaped glass thing given to her and her husband as a wedding gift was indeed a wine decanter. from her description i told her it a was a very valuable riedel amadeo decanter and that she best not drop it.
she greed to take the flowers out of it and use it to impress dinner guests from now on! haha
February 19th, 2010 at 2:18 am
I bought half a dozen pyrex lab flasks years ago that worked a treat. About $6 each, and pretty sturdy. Also, you didn’t feel quite as devastated when they broke. Not so glamorous, but did the trick.
February 19th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
You can always go the “breathable glass” route. These glasses do the work of a decanter. Or one of the decanters offered by the same company - you can even buy soem little lead balls from them to assisst in cleaning the decanter the next morning when every has gone all stale and dry.
They have got quite some sexy decanters. Check then out here: http://www.wotware.co.za/page4.html
February 25th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
@neel - breathable glass? how does that work?
thanks for all the suggestions everyone.
March 14th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Visit Bank’s online shop.
I went the breathable glass route i.e. huge 58cl glasses for red.
You can check out their decanters and glasses online (cheaper) or visit the Green Point (Cape Quarter) or Sir Lowry’s Rd store for a better idea of look/feel.
March 21st, 2010 at 9:23 pm
I’ve worked as a sommelier and in the process handled some serious wines that needed decanting. I’ve found that even though the jug types are aesthetically pleasing, they tend to chip and break quite easily. They’re mostly for show really. The bulging belly type (sorry for lack of a better description) are the best, as the glass tends to be thicker. Their biggest drawback is that they are a real bitch to clean. We had special rubberised stands made for them to hang upside down on to drain after washing.
I find them truly non negotiable if you are serious about wine. Getting the air in there really makes all the difference.
March 31st, 2010 at 12:55 pm
thanks for the tip white truffel - a bitch to clean indeed.