The classic wine decanter in two lines
The classic wine decanter by Luigi Bormioli is a glass decanting carafe, 25cm tall and 22cm across at its widest point. The declared working capacity is 750ml, which is one whole bottle, and the brimful capacity is 1.7 litres. It is sold singly.
Who it is for
For the restaurant, the wine shop and the wine bar with reds for ageing, or young, closed reds, on the list. Service from the bottle has two limits. A red with a few years on it carries sediment at the bottom, and the last glass comes out cloudy in front of the guest who paid for the dearest bottle on the list. A young red just opened gives little for the first twenty minutes, which is half the dinner. The decanter deals with the first by separating the wine from the sediment, and with the second by giving it air before it reaches the glass.
At home the wine decanter is for anyone with a few serious bottles in the cellar who opens them for guests. The wine is decanted before sitting down, and it is ready when the main course arrives.
Why 1.7 litres for a 750ml bottle
The two capacity figures say how it works. A 750ml bottle takes up less than half the total volume, 750ml of 1.7 litres. The rest is air, and air is the purpose. With a base 22cm wide the wine does not climb the neck: it spreads over the base and offers the oxygen a far wider surface than it has in the neck of the bottle. It is why a wide-based decanter opens a red in half an hour, where the opened bottle needs two hours.
The classic shape, with a wide belly and a narrow neck, has a service reason too. The neck is the grip: the waiter holds it in one hand and pours without resting the other on the glass. At 25cm tall the decanter sits on the table below the eye line of the diners, and does not screen two people sitting opposite each other.
Specifications
- Working capacity: 750ml
- Brimful capacity: 1.7 litres
- Height: 25cm
- Diameter: 22cm
- Material: glass
- Shape: classic, wide base and narrow neck
- Pack quantity: sold singly
- MPN: Luigi Bormioli A07650BYS021990
How the wine decanter is used at the table
The bottle is stood upright for a few hours before service, so the sediment drops to the bottom. It is opened, the decanter is tilted and the wine is poured slowly down the wall, with a light behind the neck of the bottle. When the sediment reaches the shoulder you stop: about two fingers of wine stay in the bottle, and that is the price of six clear glasses. For a young red the pour is done the other way, firmly and from a height, because there the wine needs air and there is no sediment.
How many a venue needs
A wine decanter is in use for the whole life of a bottle, so the number is counted on the tables that order serious reds in the same sitting. A restaurant with a well-built wine list keeps four or six. Having only one means choosing which table gets it.
The more you buy, the less you pay: 4 pieces -5%, 6 -7%, 8 -10%, on the same item. The discount applies automatically in the basket.
Washing and drying
The wine decanter is rinsed with hot water straight after service, while the wine at the bottom is still wet. Drying counts as much as washing: it is left to drain upside down on a stand, so that no water sits in the base. The maker does not declare dishwasher use in the data we hold for this item, and at 22cm across it fits few machines: by hand is the safe route. Corkscrews, stoppers and the other tools for wine service are in the wine accessories category.
FAQ
How much wine does it hold? One 750ml bottle is the working capacity. To the brim the volume is 1.7 litres.
Is the wine decanter for whites as well? For full-bodied, oaked whites yes, for a shorter time. For young whites and sparkling wines, no.
Does it have a stopper? No: there is no stopper in the supplier’s data.
Does it fit in the fridge? At 22cm across and 25cm tall it takes up a whole shelf: for wines served cool, measure first.
Dispatched from Rome, Italy.
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