What Is a Wine Decanter?
A wine decanter is a container, often made of glass or crystal, that wine is poured into for the purpose of increasing the amount of surface area a wine has exposed. This causes the wine to interact with more oxygen than it normally would. Essentially, many wines taste and smell a lot better after decanting without lowering the sugar in wine or the wine alcohol content.

What Is a Wine Decanter Used For?
Wine decanters are used to intentionally kickstart the oxidation process in wine and draw out complex flavors. It does this by increasing the surface area of the wine so oxygen can bond with as many molecules as possible. This isn't a novel idea as wine glasses themselves are designed to increase a wine’s surface area. But they also have smaller openings intended for drinking, so only a limited amount of wine can be exposed to oxygen. A wine decanter takes a glass’s aeration to the next level. Their unique shapes specifically maximize the areas where wine can rush and flow. They also help bring the red wine temperature to room temperature, which is ideal for serving to customers and guests.

Wine decanters also make it easier to serve aged wines, usually reds, with sediment without pouring that sediment into a wine glass.