Decanting Large Format Wine Bottles
April 7, 2008
Hey hello… for decanting large-format bottles of wine, should you use more than one decanter? Alley in Davenport, IL
Correct, if you are decanting a large format bottle, be prepared with several wine decanters. The process of decanting should be continuous. Keep in mind that once start, don’t stop until you are finished because this process will stir up the sediment in the wine. Also, you will definitely need help from someone to keep changing the decanters for you.
If it’s a very large format bottle you’ll probably need a two helpers to hold the bottle steady while the decanting the bottle. Many of these large format bottles are named after biblical kings. Sometimes however, the same name may be used to refer to different size bottles in different regions.
For the curious winos out there that love wine trivia. Here is a cool little chart that gives you the name of large format bottles along with their size.
| Bottle Equivalent | Bordeaux Wine Bottle Sizes | Burgundy & Champagne Bottle Sizes |
| Two (1.5L) | Magnum | Magnum |
| Three (2.25L) | Marie-Jeanne | N/A |
| Four (3.0L) | Double Magnum | Jeroboam |
| Six (4.5L) | Jeroboam | Rehoboam |
| Eight (6.0L) | Imperiale | Methusaleh |
| Twelve (9.0L) | N/A | Salmanazar |
| Sixteen (12.0L) | N/A | Balthazar |
| Twenty (15.0L) | N/A | Nebuchadnezzar |
Lead in Wine?
March 17, 2008
Is lead in wine something I should really consider or is it just media hype and paranoia? - Justin in Rochester, MN
One concern has been with very expensive decanters that are made from crystal that some of these do contain a tiny amount of lead because it makes the glass very clear. Research has shown that if you use these types of crystal to store wine or liquor over a long period of months that the alcohol may leach a discernible amount of lead into the contents.
However, the amounts are marginal. But you have to consider that since lead can cause brain damage, it is definitely worth being cautious. Talk about being a hardcore wino, so much that you are willing to risk brain damage to get your kicks. Now if you are still willing to use a crystal decanter I highly advise that you use it only for the evening and from there pour the remainder back into the bottle.
DO NOT use these for long term storage of wine unless you have a fond desire of drooling on yourself while clapping your hands…