When it comes to wine decanters you can let form or function be your guide. A decanter’s job is simple — expose wine to oxygen, which allows the wine to open up. As we wrote in our Wine 101 guide to decanting wine, the vessel you use is less important than the simple act of decanting; in a pinch we’ve used “plastic pitchers, mason jars, even other empty bottles” in place of proper decanters. However, when we’re entertaining, we do prefer to go with something a bit more stylish. These seven thoroughly modern decanters fit that bill, and they are all products that you can actually purchase. While we love design projects, they often leave us wishing they were real!
Two quick notes:
- You can spend a small fortune on a decanter (or three), so if you’re looking for something simple, elegant, and affordable, we suggest the Riedel ‘Merlot’ decanter. While we are skeptical about the way they market their varietally specific wine glasses, their $25 dollar ‘Merlot’ decanter is perfect for decanting any wine, and it looks nice too.
- A blender is one object we don’t recommend as a substitute for a basic glass decanter. You can read what happens when you “hyperdecant” an extremely expensive bottle of wine in a blender (hint – nothing good). Otherwise, enjoy the seven uniquely modern, visually stunning decanters below.
Kinetic Revolving Decanter and Glasses
This set includes a decanter and two stemless glasses — all of which revolve on their base. The Kinetic set seems like the perfect solution for our stylishly clumsy friends. You can buy the set at Vessel for $215 dollars.
Nambé Tilt Wine Decanter
Here’s how Nambé describes their decanter: “Sitting on your table with its lively, off-kilter attitude, the decanter makes a spectacular sight.” We agree. There’s something about the design that hints at motion, an attribute that keeps drawing our eyes back to it when we try to look away. The decanter is on backorder at the producer’s website, but it is available at Amazon for $175.99.
Molecule
The Molecule is a dual-bodied decanter, designed to hold both wine and water (or more wine!). You can head over to the Tomas Kral design studio website to take a look at how these unique decanters are made. If you’d like to buy one, the decanter is available at Vessel for $445 dollars.
Rogaska Aurea Duo Decanter
Like the Molecule, the Rogaska Aurea is a dual-bodied decanter, though it offers a very different take on the concept. You can get it directly from Wine Enthusiast for $199.95 or at a slight discount from Amazon (with free shipping if you have Prime).
Barbara Carafe
The Barbara Carafe — that’s Barbara not Barbera — designed by Nina Jobs, features a playful bulbous design, and a colored stopper, which also fits in a groove on the object’s bottom. We like the stark contrast that the black stopper creates, but if you’re looking for something a bit more colorful an amethyst version is also available. You can get the carafe with a black stopper from Scandinavian Design Center for $98 dollars. The amethyst and clear editions are a bit harder to locate.
Uplifting Carafe
Designed by Dean Brown, these decanters suspend your wine above the table. How does it work? The vessel is actually two distinct pieces of glass that fit together. You can buy any three of the takes on the design at Vessel for $295 dollars. Whether intended or not, the ‘Low’ edition resembles the cheap bottles of jug wine that were once quite popular in the U.S., making for a fun contrast — assuming you’re not decanting jug wine. For the historically minded, the tapered bottoms of the ‘inside’ pieces of glass resemble amphorae sans second handles.
The Rainman Decanter
The Rainman is a decanter that’s designed to put on a show. While you empty your bottle into the top of this simple glass decanter, when it’s time to pour a glass, an eight-holed spout produces a wine “shower.” Listed at £49.00 pounds — currently out of stock — the Rain Man is the only decanter on the list not immediately available.
