Damn sexy Decanters from Riedel

At the recent Riedel comparative tasting I learnt about how using the right glass with your wine can make a world of different to how it tastes. Riedel glasses are beautiful, yet functional, and the science behind the grape specific glasses really does work. But the seriously sexy stuff at Riedel has to be the Decanters…
Riedel Decanters are just fabulous and come in an array of animal shapes and slick designs.
Maximilian J Riedel, CEO of Riedel Crystal of America, introduced us to one of his creations ‘Eve’, which is designed in the shape of a snake. I LOVE it.

Decanters like Eve, with a long neck, are more suited to young wines as will aid the aeration. It is clever too, by twisting the decanter, you charge it with just the right amount you want to drink, it makes this fantastic engine like noise (like a Porche 911 turbo according to Max) and the foam on top of the poured wine is a clear sign of oxygenation. Below is a vid of the Eve Decanter in action.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDiJgsKtLWk]
I fear I’ll not get enough use of it to justify its £375 price tag. Although Riedel proclaim you should decant pretty much all quality wine, older wine to separate it from its sediment and younger wines to increase oxygenation and reveal more complexity and open up aromas and flavours.
Washing this bad boy could be a problem though, it is way too tall for my sink so would need cleaning in the bath with a shower head – classy! Actually it is slightly too big for my kitchen entirely, so maybe will have to wait until I move – housewarming gift anyone…