These Luxe Wine Carafes Will Totally Change How You Drink Wine

If you’ve ever taken a wine tasting class (aka the best excuse ever to drink up) you already know the No. 1 rule for wine: Let it breathe. 

The science is pretty simple. Allowing your vino to interact with oxygen for at least 30 minutes before sipping changes its chemistry ever-so slightly, bringing out its best qualities in the process. 

Hate to tell you, though, simply uncorking your pinot noir and letting it sit there for a half hour accomplishes next to nothing. After all, the entire chemical process relies on exposing as much surface area of your wine as possible to oxygen — and that nickel-sized circle of air at the top of the bottle is nowhere near enough to get the job done.

Which is where wine carafes come in. They’ve been on every wine-aficionado’s must-own list for 7,000 years and counting, thanks to their ability to fully aerate a bottle — and look good doing it. 

On top of bringing out the notes of the pricy bottle you've been saving for your anniversary, they have a very handy, under-the-radar talent I’ll let you in on. They also make an excellent decoy for that bottle of Two-Buck Chuck, or Rex Goliath, or any other award-winning bargain wine you might love. Decant one into one of the luxe modernist or bohemian carafes ahead and I promise, even the biggest wine snob you know will be none the wiser.