History

The decanter has a long history dating back more than 2,000 years. Most commonly used for serving red wine, decanters allow for the removal of sediment and increase the amount of contact the wine has with the air, allowing it to breathe and its flavours to develop.

In Ancient Rome, wine was transported in large clay jars known as pithoi while smaller, more decorative versions of the form were used at the table. These were often made from glass but following the fall of the Roman Empire, the practice of wine decanting virtually died out.

It wasn’t until the Renaissance that glass vessels began to-emerge, thanks the development of new glassmaking techniques in Italy.  By the 17th century, these techniques had spread to northern Europe. In England, they key figure was George Ravenscroft. He lived in Venice for a number of years and on his return to England in the 1660s began importing European glass and crystal. He went on to found his own glassworks in London in 1673 where he perfected the process of adding lead oxide to glass and began producing serving bottle and decanters for wealthy clients.