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Wine agony aunt: The ins and outs of decanters

Cathy Gowdie

To decant or not; that is the question.
To decant or not; that is the question.Supplied

Q. Is a wine decanter really necessary? A dinner guest asked us for a decanter for some wine he brought to our place but we don't have one. He said the wine was still fine but not as good as it would have been if he had been able to decant it. We don't drink wine often so I am reluctant to buy one especially.

A. Long ago, when etiquette writers roamed the earth, brides-to-be sallied forth to bookstores where they bought guidebooks listing items considered essential to setting up a new home: silver-plated fish forks, engraved cigarette boxes and cut-crystal decanters.

Today, you need only click your way to the likes of Martha Stewart's wedding website, where you will find (I am not making this up) "41 Glass Items to add to your Registry Wish List". And lo – at least one of those 41 items is a decanter. Does that mean a decanter is a household necessity? With apologies to Ms Stewart, no.

Decanting wine typically has one or both of the following purposes: to leave behind any sediments that may have accumulated in a bottle of (usually older red) wine; or to aerate the wine to enhance its flavour. You can pour the wine into almost any kind of receptacle, so long as it's clean and roomy enough for the relevant volume of wine. Avoid anything with a porous interior that may have absorbed other flavours. Glass is best. A water pitcher or kitchen jug will do the job, or even a vase if that's what comes to hand.

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Granted, that may not look glamorous. If you baulk at putting a Pyrex measuring jug on a dressed-up dining table, see if you can find a decanter secondhand at a charity shop. If you don't use it regularly it may end up developing a stale "cupboard" odour; be sure to thoroughly wash and air it before letting anyone put wine in it.

Got a wine quandary? Get in touch at wineagonyaunt@gmail.com

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