Wine carafes

Wine carafes and decanters in stylish designs

Add a touch of elegance to your table setting with a designer wine carafe or decanter by one of your favourite brands. In our assortment, you will find a variety of stylish wine carafes and decanters in a range of designs – all in luxury quality!

What is the difference between a wine decanter and wine carafe?

A wine carafe is a decorative container that is used for holding and serving wine in an elegant way. Wine carafes come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can make an attractive detail on the table.

A wine decanter has a wide base and a tapered neck. The main purpose of the decanter is to aerate the wine by providing a larger surface area where the wine is exposed to the air. This plays an important part of the oxygenating process and can help to bring out the unique aromas and flavours in the wine.

Designer wine decanters and carafes by popular brands

Here at Nordic Nest, you will find a large assortment of modern wine carafes and decanters in a range of designs by widely known brands.

Top 3 most popular brands for wine decanters and carafes:

• Georg Jensen
• Menu
• Eva Solo

Modern wine decanters and carafes as an elegant detail on your table

Besides being practical items for serving or aerating wine, unique wine decanters and carafes in stylish designs can be beautiful additions to your table setting.

Whether you are looking for a traditional style or unusual wine decanter design, our assortment includes a range of wine carafes and decanters in high quality that will add a touch of luxury to any occasion.

Why use a wine decanter?

• By pouring the wine into a decanter before serving, the wine is able to breath. This process helps to release the aromas more easily and brings out the flavours in the wine.
• When you use a wine aerator decanter, you get rid of the wine’s ripening sediments that can give wine a certain bitter taste.
• A modern wine decanter or carafe is also a stylish decorative detail to your table setting that can add a feeling of elegance when the wine is poured into the wine glasses.

How to aerate wine?

It is not enough to pull the cork out of the wine bottle to aerate the wine, as not enough oxygen enters through the narrow bottle neck. In addition, as the body of the wine bottle is fairly narrow, only small amount of wine in the bottle comes into contact with oxygen.

Wine is best aerated when poured from a high height, down into the decanter and along the edge of the inside of the wine decanter, so that all the wine comes into contact with the air on its way down to the bottom. Once you have poured the wine into the carafe, it should be swirled. The wide base of the decanter is especially designed to make it possible to swirl the wine and to expose as large a volume of the wine as possible to oxygen.

How long should the wine be aerated?

The length of the aeration depends on the age of the wine. It can take anywhere from 15 minutes up to 2-3 hours. A good rule of thumb is at least half an hour of aeration, so remember to bring out the wine a good while before it is to be enjoyed for the best taste experience.

Most young wines require proper aeration, regardless of whether it is a red or white wine. Mature wines, on the other hand, should not be aired for too long before serving, as they risk oxidizing and losing their aromas. In some cases, it is even enough to simply aerate these wines directly in the glass.

How to decant wine in the correct way

The correct way to store wine bottles is horizontally, preferably with the cork leaning downwards, as this keeps the cork moist and prevents oxygen from entering the bottle. However, this means that the sediment accumulates along the side of the bottle. Therefore, before decanting your wine, let the bottle stand for 24 hours, to allow the sediment to stabilize on the bottom of the bottle.

When pouring the wine into the decanter, hold the bottle at an angle of 45 degrees so that the wine can flow at a steady pace. Make sure to look for any sediment while the wine is being poured by using a small flashlight or lighter. If you see any sediment while pouring, tilt the bottle back to an upright position and then restart.

When the wine appears cloudy, stop pouring the wine and leave the remaining amount in the bottle with the sediment (normally about 15 ml).

Red, white or rosés – how to choose the best decanter or carafe for your wine

Full-bodied red wines are particularly suited to decanters with an extra wide base as the flavour of the wine can be greatly enhanced by the oxygenating process.

White wines and rosés will also benefit from decanting, however, as the aeration is not as important as for red wines, white wine decanters or carafe are often designed with a narrower base.

Whether you prefer a glass of red, white or rosé, here you will find the best wine decanters and carafes in stylish designs.

White wine decanters with a cooling function

Unlike red wine, white wine and rosé is best enjoyed when it is well chilled. To succeed in keeping the wine chilled for a long time, a wine carafe with a cooling function can therefore be a smart solution.

How to clean a wine carafe or decanter

It is important to read the specific cleaning instructions provided by the supplier for your individual wine carafe or decanter to see if it is dishwasher safe or should be washed by hand. Make sure to clean the decanter or carafe immediately after use to avoid it from staining.

For wine carafes and decanters that need to be washed by hand, first remove any type of jewellery or wristwatch that could scratch the glass. Clean the carafe or decanter by letting it soak in warm water for 10 minutes. Then swirl the warm water and use a soft cloth to gently rub into the curved parts. Repeat this process if necessary. It is not recommended to use dishwashing detergent when cleaning the carafe or decanter as it can leave traces on the surface.

Let the wine carafe or decanter dry upside down after washing. If you dry it with a cloth, there is a risk that lint will get stuck in the carafe and then end up in the wine the next time it is to be used.