Sunday, December 16, 2012

Attractiveness And Utility Combined In A Crystal Wine Decanter

By Celia Hall


Liquor served in a crystal wine decanter looks a lot more pleasing than that served in a bottle. However, that is not the ultimate aim of using a decanter. It may seem silly to expect liquor to get better just because it has been poured into a new vessel, but there are benefits to decanting, as it helps improve the taste of the liquor.

Decanting is not merely the transfer of the liquid from one container to another. There is a lot more that goes on during this process. If old liquor is being decanted, its taste will be bettered because the sediment which develops because of keeping will be separated. The sediment lends a very noticeable astringent taste to the liquor, which is why it is important to do away with it before serving the liquor.

The advantage of using a crystal wine decanter emerges in this process. You can clearly see the amount of sediment that might spill through to the liquor you want to drink, and you can avoid this by being more careful or stopping the decanting process.

The second thing, which makes decanting important for younger liquor is that it mixes oxygen with the liquid. This makes it mature at a faster pace and taste better than it would otherwise. With this kind of liquor, you do not have to be very careful when decanting, as there is no sediment to bother about.

Now the methods of decanting wine can be discussed. If it is the young variety, your job is very simple. You have to pour it into the decanting vessel and leave it alone for a few minutes. The taste that emerges after this process is definitely more complex and subtle.

Handling liquor that is more mature requires more time, skill and practice. There are two things you must keep in mind, namely, pouring the liquid slowly enough, so that the sediment does not make its way to the decanting vessel and spoil the taste of the liquor, and beginning the process at the right time, as mature liquor, if exposed to air for too long, will not taste as good.

How to ensure that the sediment does not make its way through to the liquor that you plan to drink is beyond the scope of this article. However, there are plenty of good articles online which can teach you how to do this properly. Investing in a book about liquor and techniques used to handle it will also give you insight into these things. The liquor which still contains the sediment and is left behind in the bottle definitely does not taste as good as the wine that has been poured out into the crystal wine decanter, but you could still drink it after some straining.

Experts also seem to argue about which kind of liquor can be subjected to decanting. While some are of the opinion that all of them will be better off for this process, some think that Bordeaux and similar wines can be decanted, but not Burgundy. You should also remember, when buying a crystal wine decanter, that it is best to buy one which is of a simple cut, not too decorative and colorless, so you can see the liquor and sediment carefully.




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