Wine Word of the Week: Carafe



By Kori ~ August 14th, 2010.

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is carafe.

Official definition from Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst’s The New Wine Lover’s Companion:
Carafe is a simple clear glass (occasionally metal) container with a wide mouth used for serving wine or other beverages. Restaurants often use carafes to serve inexpensive wines. Carafes can also be used to decant older wines that have thrown sediment; however, finer wines are customarily transferred to a more elaborate container, such as a decanter.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Carafe is a basic glass container used for serving beverages. The same type carafe used for orange juice at breakfast joints is often used to serve house wines at restaurants.


Filed under: Wine Word of the Week

Reader's Comments

  1. Cork & Foil | August 15th, 2010 at 7:33 am

    If it is a house wine you’re after I think Carafe’s are a good size at least, sometimes a bottle between two is too much, especially at lunch, but a glass each won’t do. Most carafes are 500ml so they do 4 glasses in total, perfect with a light lunch between two!

  2. Kori | August 26th, 2010 at 11:47 am

    Cork & Foil,
    Great point. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!