The first thing Dennis and I went out and purchased after returning from Italy was a wine carafe. You may prefer the term decanter. Either way, we decided that wine tastes so much better from one.
The original use of decanters is interesting. You could use it to house not-so-great wine (still a relevant point these days) or use it as a tool to ensure that sediment from your wine bottle is filtered out. That is, to make sure that the glorious mouth-feel from your full-bodied glass of wine is not marred by the dirty, chalky, and bitter sediment that an older wine can ungraciously deposit from bottle to stem.
For me it was simple. I discovered that it is just a delight to pour from it.
It takes savoring a glass of wine to the next level.
We went to Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and Williams Sonoma to find a simple, not too complicated carafe. Williams Sonoma won for us for two reasons: 1) Dennis used to work for ARC International (makers of Mikasa) and I still feel un-loyal buying Anchor and 2) the Riedel carafe we purchased at Williams Sonoma had a nice cut crystal pour spout. It is beautifully simple. I won’t lie to you, I am scared to death to accidently break it!
A quick google search opens us many affordable and interesting options:
· Sur La Table (also a great site for everything kitchen!)
· Williams Sonoma (this is the one I purchased)
· Crate and Barrel (I am in love with the “Vino Carafe” for just $4.95)
· Wineaccessory.com (has beautiful pieces as well as decanter dryer shelf, funnels, and cleaning kits)
· Walmart.com (has one really interesting amber colored carafe I am intrigued over)
If you have a wine carafe packed away in the cupboard, the attic, or come across on at a flea market or garage sale, it’s time to put it to use! It adds that extra-special touch to a dressed table, whether it is filled with white wine, red wine, or good old-fashioned apple cider.
And besides, we all can use a little extra-specialness to our lives… to make everyday a special day!
Happy decanting!
