I’m a firm believer that even the most average table wine benefits from decanting. While some sommeliers will argue for decanting sparkling wines, I can’t go quite that far, but I think any still wine, young or old, will benefit from decanting. Younger wines gain the benefit of aeration, which helps to release the aromas and nuances in the wine better, resulting in a better wine experience. Unfortunately, as much as I like to aerate wines, all of my wine decanters are quite showy. I own six wine decanters, all of which are appropriate for entertaining, but any of them would look slightly silly at my dinner table on a weeknight with my wife and two-year-old daughter and with my Great Dane looking on in anticipation. I’d never found a decanter that is both casual enough for weeknight use and achieves my goal of aerating a wine that I may have purchased at the grocery store a mere hour before.

A few weeks ago, that all changed when a Riedel Swirl decanter arrived at my house. Now, I’m a Riedel man through and through. I use Riedel stemware at home for all of my wines. I’ve always stocked Riedel glasses in restaurants that I’ve managed. At least half of my wine decanters are Riedel as well. Even my single malt Scotch whisky glasses are half Riedels and half Glencairn glasses (I switch up depending on which whisky I choose.) Long story short, I don’t think that Riedel can be beat for wine and spirits glassware. They set the bar that everyone else tries to achieve.

The Swirl decanter showed up, and I was a bit skeptical. Did I really want to wash a decanter along with wine glasses every night even if it improved my table wines? The simple answer is yes. The Swirl decanter made a marked difference in our wine experience, and the decanter has a cool, modern look that matched well with our Pottery Barn dishes and silverware. I like the decanter so much that I’m tempted to pick up the matching wine glasses even though I don’t usually like stemless glassware.

At around $40 at better merchants, the Riedel Swirl decanter is a great investment for your weekday wine drinking needs. While I wouldn’t be happy if my two year old knocks this decanter off of the table, at least at $40, I can afford to replace it without too much pain. My other decanters ran $100 and over, so this decanter offers a great value. And don’t think that the Riedel Swirl decanter is just for casual occasions. If it’s your only wine decanter, it will work perfectly for a dinner party or other events. Add this one to your holiday shopping lists for the wine lover in your family, and your holiday gift will surely be appreciated. Great quality, great value, and good design add up to make the Riedel Swirl decanter a great acquisition for all wine enthusiasts.