For gentle cleaning, simply pour a mixture of hot water and vinegar into your decanter, swirl, and then rinse again with very hot water. If you prefer not to invest in specialty tools, there are several homespun methods that work well. They are designed to snake inside narrow decanter necks and polish away any wine residue. These are long, flexible tube-shaped brushes covered in foam or cloth. Specialty cleaning brushes are also available. After the decanter is cleaned, the beads can be rinsed and reused indefinitely. As you swirl the decanter, the beads provide agitation and dislodge any wine residue. Cleaning beads are small metal beads that you pour directly into your decanter along with hot water. The decanters below are some of the most popular styles available.Ī few tools exist to make cleaning decanters easier. Which makes choosing a decanter a matter of personal preference. As long as the decanter creates enough surface area to expose the wine to oxygen, it will work to enhance the flavors over time. There are dozens of styles of decanters available. What Are the Different Styles of Wine Decanters? Aluminum or other metal decanters should be avoided, as they could react with the wine and alter its flavor.

Many modern decanters are made from borosilicate glass, which is heat- and breakage-resistant. Crystal glass contains minerals, which add strength, but these decanters are often thicker and heavier. Most wine decanters are made from glass or crystal.The wine will naturally flow out of the tip of the spout, and the flow will stop without dripping when the decanter is tilted upright. Wine decanters with an angled spout are easier to pour.While these can be beautiful, they’re also difficult to clean and may break easily. Durability and design are also important. Many decanters are tall and delicate.To decant quickly, look for a vessel with a large base (the more narrow the decanter, the less oxidation happens).If your bottle has some spicy, sharp notes or has some less-pleasant aromas, decanting can help. An exception is white wine that’s full-bodied or shows some off flavors-like a sulfurous notes or a touch of nail polish remover. Decanting them from the thick, narrow necked bottle into a thin decanter will bring them to room temperature more quickly. White and rosé wines are also served cooler than red wines. These highly aromatic wines are juicy and fresh right out of the bottle, and there isn’t much to unwind. Wines that aren’t meant to be aged, like rosés or many white wines, also won’t benefit much from decanting. As Ball notes, “you want to keep those bubbles in place.” However, decanting champagne is very much a thing. Decanting a sparkling wine will create more space for carbon dioxide to escape, and the wine will lose its carbonation much more quickly. The oxygen exposure that helps red wines open up will work against you in this case. However, you should generally avoid decanting sparkling wines. In general, almost all red wines will benefit from being decanted. Older wines or young complex wines may benefit especially from decanting, but not all wines do. If the bottle has sediment, stop pouring when about 1/2-inch of wine remains in the bottle. To decant without a filter, slowly and steadily pour the wine from the bottle into the neck of the decanter, holding the wine bottle at about 45-degree angle. To do this, place the filter in the neck of the decanter and gently pour the wine through. If the wine has sediment, or if you notice that the cork has crumbled, you can decant using a metal filter this will help remove any solids from wine. When the sediment reaches the neck, it’s illuminated by the candle, and the server stops pouring, leaving the solid compounds and a small amount of wine behind. In traditional restaurant service, old wines are decanted by placing a candle behind the neck (i.e. This sediment isn’t harmful, but no one wants a surprise mouthful of crunchy crystals or squishy yeast cells while enjoying a beautiful Bordeaux.

Wine sediment forms naturally during the fermentation and aging process and is composed of organic materials, like dead yeast cells and crystallized tartaric acid. Look at the bottom of your bottle, evaluating if there’s any sediment collected there.

Large bubble crackle glass vase