The History of the Wine Decanter

Wine decanters have been around for a very, very long time. Decanters are very popular in today's society as a practical instrument, serving glass, or decorative piece. Decanters resemble a large glass with a bulged bottom and a skinny neck. They are used to hold the decantation of liquid; this contains sediment (wine). Decanters are also useful for serving wine, and wine decanters are both useful and beautiful. Wine decanters can be found at almost any antique store, restaurant, or even most homes. Wine decanters have a long history and an interesting one at that.

What is the History and Uses of Wine Decanters?

For centuries, wine decanters have helped people serve wine to their guest, family, and friends. Decanters were usually filled full with wine, and the wine decanter would be brought to the serving table, where it could be easily handled by a servant or host. The Romans supposedly perfected glassware, but decanters were still usually made of silver, bronze, gold, or earthenware in the Roman Empire.

The Venetians reintroduced glass decanters to the world, with the Venetians decorative glass designs and changing the shape of the decanters, decanters became very popular and widespread. After the Venetians, British glass-makers added something to the decanter, a stopper. They didn’t want the wine to have constant exposure to the air. Since then not many drastic changes have been made to the decanters design or purpose.

Decanters are very decorative, and wine decanters sometimes serve as nothing but a decorative piece. Many people do use them for serving wine, but they have an enticing design to them that has made people for years use them in settings, centerpieces, and eye-catching glassware. Decanters are primarily made out of glass, and because they are made out of glass, they can be molded and decorated elaborately and beautifully. Many decanters are made of clear glass to help show the decanting process.

What is the Decanting Process?

Although wine decanters can be used for a variety of purposes, their main function is to play a role in the decanting process. The wine is poured into a decanter to help separate the sediment deposited in the original vessel. Wine decanting also helps to aerate the wine so that it may "breathe" and taste better. Decanting wine is almost a thing of the past; with new wines, decanting isn’t usually necessary. Although, many people still decant wine as a way of family tradition, entertainment, or just for fun.