We’ve all been taught that a decanter will make your wine taste better. But how much better? And which decanter should you choose? Those were the questions my friend Sandra asked me last week. We used her questions as the perfect excuse to do a really fun wine tasting – a decanter showdown. I highly recommend doing this – and if you need some decanters to help you out, I have them.
The Decanters
Through WineShop At Home, I sell two beautiful decanters. Both are part of our beautiful Artisan 5 stemware line from Italy. The first, “The Classic”, is traditional. The second, “The Nouveau”, is chic.
Looking at them, I would assume that the traditional one would do a better job of decanting wine, since it has a larger area for the oxygen to touch the wine. And that is the name of the game when it comes to decanting.
Tasting Setup
I gave each of us three glasses, one for “The Classic”, one for “The Nouveau” and one for wine directly from the bottle. We chose a bottle of Pinot Noir that we decanted for about 15 minutes.
The Results
“The Classic” gave us the best taste, but “The Nouveau” was a close second. We think that if we had let the wine decant for 10 or 15 more minutes, there might not have been as much of a difference. We’ll have to try that the next time.
One of the things we really like about “The Nouveau” is how easy it is to pour the wine. “The Classic” is more difficult to pour.
Not surprisingly, the wine that wasn’t decanted was markedly less desirable than both decanted wines. Even though Pinot Noir is known for being smooth, when you do a comparison of decanted wine to wine straight out of the bottle, the wine straight out of the bottle doesn’t taste smooth at all. A very good reminder of how great it is to use a decanter, even for white wine.
If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area and you’d like to do a decanter showdown, please let me know. I’d love to do that with you. And if you’d like to buy one, please visit the stemware section of my website.
Cheers!
As an independent wine consultant with WineShop At Home, I absolutely enjoy bringing a taste of the Napa wine country home to you one sip at a time. Whether you simply love to drink wine, seek a special personalized wine gift, or are in search of a new wine jobs opportunity as a wine consultant, feel free to contact me for a truly unique wine tasting experience!
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12 comments
A decanter showdown? Woot! Good info to know. So does this mean no two decanters are the same and that you should locate one that works for your palate?
I think so! And of course it’s a great excuse for having a showdown 🙂
Gosh, I am such a wine neophyte, I don’t own and have never used a decanter. I guess I need to try this!
Definitely! You’ll love it!
I never knew how the decanter can change taste of the wine! I just thought they looked pretty!
They look pretty, and they change the taste! A nice twofer!
I have a couple decanters that I have never used. Better get those out STAT!
Definitely. You will love it. I recommend pouring one wine directly from the bottle and one from the decanter – after decanting for at least 20 minutes. You will notice a huge difference.
I had no idea there were so many different options, thanks for letting me know Betty! Always excited to learn new wine things 👍
Sure!
I can’t believe I don’t yet have the right decanter, thanks for this!
Sure!