The Difference Between A Decanter and A Carafe

You can fully appreciate a wine’s full potential when you serve it in a decanter or carafe instead of straight from the bottle, but why? While some of us call a decanter and a carafe the same thing, others are very particular about the differences. So what is a decanter exactly and what exactly is a carafe?

A Wine Decanter

A wine decanter is designed to store and serve wine and allow the wine to breathe. The process of airing a wine is quite complex. The shape of a decanter with its wide base is designed intentionally to create oxygenation. Decanters play an especially important part in exposing red wine to air.

Bits of old cork are sometimes found in red wines, especially older vintages. So pouring into a decanter will help by filtering and getting rid of any unwanted sediment. It should also remove any bitter tastes that can exist in aged wines.

Typically wine decanters have that wide and flat base with a tapered neck. They also have seals or stoppers which are meant to keep the contents fresh until you’re ready to drink it. It also helps slow down any deterioration of wine after it’s been exposed to air.

A Wine Carafe

A wine carafe is more of just a basic vessel that holds liquids. These days most people use a carafe for holding water or juices. The shape of the container is not as important as a decanter and doesn’t change the taste of its contents. It is more of a showy piece designed for everyday events.

Carafes have a longer body and smaller base designed to take up less space on the table. Lots of people tend to serve rose or white wines that don’t need to be ‘opened up’ compared with reds.

So the overall difference between these two vessels is tradition, shape and style. Decanters are used more often for wines than carafes to help with the contents. The body of a carafe is long and straight by comparison and is generally not used for red wines.

Remember, House & Garden sells a huge range of glassware including decanters, carafes and barware accessories to help you with all your barware needs.

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