1. What is the origin of the word “decanter”? The name of the vessels is derived from the French verb “decanter”, literally meaning “to pour, without disturbing the sediment”, so the name describes the function.

2. When decanting do you need to put a lighted candle beneath the decannter? No! The use of candles (or any other source of light) when decanting is aimed to prevent the trans- fer of any sediment from the bottle into the decanter or glass. Therefore the candle should be placed under the neck of the bottle. In this way it will be easier for you to see the sediment coming, so you can stop pouring before any of it gets into the decanter. A candle under the decanter itself is useless – it can only show that you have already let the sediment in and it will also unnecessarily warm up the wine.

3. Is it true that decanters have to be fireproof in order to allow for the wine to be warmed up and noxious gases evaporated? I mention this question only because I have heard it more than once. There is one definitive answer to that: fireproof decanters are not produced and they are not needed. Warming the wine is not necessary – it often needs to be cooled down to the proper temperature for drinking.

4. What is the purpose of decanting? There are several benefits in this process:

• as I already said, this is a sure way to avoid sediment and other particles from dropping into the wine;
• while being decanted wine comes into full contact with air and becomes aerated. This leads to a faster “opening” and makes it ready for consumption. It saves you the time that wine needs “to breathe”;
• from an aesthetical point of view it is better to look at a beautiful container with a beautiful colour and let the labeled bottle serve as the object of discussion for people with interest in wine. Moreover, the use of a decanter turns wine drinking into a wonderful ritual.

5. Should white wines be decanted? I personally decant white wines too. Some wine producers add gas which often leads to unpleasant aromas when you open the bottle. They disappear immediately when the wine is decanted.

6. Are decanters for white and red wine different? In contrast to wine glasses the function of decanters is not deter- mined by their shape. While some are called “Bordeaux” or “Burgundy”, this remains a purely aesthetic issue and it is part of the pleasure of enjoying wine in a beautifully manner.

7. And do decanters for young and old wine differ? Yes. There is a simple rule for selecting a decanter according to the age the wine. The older the wine, the more compact the decanter. The point is that excessive aeration can “break” an old wine. A more compact container means less exposure to air. For very old wines decanting is not only not recommended, it is unacceptable - unless you want to witness the “death” of some expensive wine.

8. How do you clean a decanter? If you use a decanter often, you will soon notice that the walls will become coloured. How can we make the glass clear and shiny again? In specialized wine accessories shops, you will find washing pearls for decanters. They are efficient in the case of slight colouration. If the pearls do not help, you may have to turn to chemicals. The easiest solution is to use calgonite. It is crucial to wash it thoroughly with water afterwards, in order not only to wash away the detergent but to remove its odour as well.

9. How do you dry the decanter after washing? Drying the decanter correctly is of great importance. There are special stands for draining decanters which work well with most common shapes.

10. Do we need a decanter at home? The answer to this question lies within each and every one of you. Whether you do or not depends on your personal preferences, your lifestyle, and last but not least, on your desire to make the world around you more beautiful and exciting.

Yassen Panov, hedonist