“No poem was ever written by a drinker of water,” the great Roman poet, Horace wrote. Wine has been a part of daily life for thousands of years. Its history dates back to origins in ancient Mesopotamia, and plenty has been written about wine. Take Psalms and Proverbs of the bible for example:

-Psalm 104:15-And wine that makes the heart of mortal man rejoice, to make the face shine with oil, and bread that sustains the very heart of mortal man.

-Proverbs 31:6-7 -Give beer to the ones about to perish and wine to those who are bitter of soul. Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

According to Persian mythology, wine was discovered by a woman when she drank the fermented juice from grapes stored in a jar. After partaking she fell asleep, and woke up cured of a headache, rather than suffering from the world’s first hangover as expected. Wine became the drink of the gods, whether they were Egyptian, Sumerian, or Greek. The symbolism of wine, as well as its effect, became potent and has been adopted into stories and tradition. Even Homer had something to say of wine, in The Odyssey, he wrote:

The wine urges me on, the bewitching wine, which sets even a wise man to singing and to laughing gently and rouses him up to dance and brings forth words which were better unspoken.

Now given the myriad of wines available today, I can’t begin to tell you what to drink. I do have a few favorites though. I happen to be fond of a Shiraz offered by Automoto, and for desserts I enjoy the German Pieseporters, and Eisweins. I would like to tell you about how to drink it. Being the beverage connoisseur that I am, and for my enjoyment of entertaining, my wife bought the perfect gift. The Inverted Wine Decanter by Hammacher Schlemmer is a very cool way to enjoy your favorite wine.

This decanter assists your vino in a few important ways. First, it agitates your favorite red wine when you pour it over the glass globe that rests suspended in the opening of the hand blown glass receptacle. The resulting wine has been properly aerated releasing its bouquet and softening its tannins. Second, it allows you to remove any sediment or cork particles by pouring it through a fine mesh disk that rests in the opening holding up the glass globe. The stainless steel mesh filter screens out undesirables, but will not infuse the wine with any odor or taste. The receptacle has a stainless steel lever-spigot, which opens with pressure from the rim of your glass; this allows you to pour wine without touching the decanter. It is also great for your whites. If you freeze the glass globe, it will aid in chilling your white wine. Lastly, if you don’t finish, simply remove the mesh and the glass globe seats nicely in the opening and your decanted wine will be preserved. The decanter is held by a powder-coated wrought-iron frame that with a nice Italian marble base. Trust me this is not your grandmother’s wine serving set.

So check this one out, and next time your serving guests make sure to have this out, because for serving wine, and impressing your friends, to do it this way is refreshingly swell.

(Images courtesy of: lifeinitaly.com, amazingwineclub.com, wisconsinchalet.com, amazon.com, snooth.com, and South Australia state library)

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