I have occasional need for a sediment-clearing filter for older wines I encounter at group tastings.
Any cheers or boos out there for specific brands/makes?
I see the following products listed: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=wine+filter&x=0&y=0
I don’t need aeration; I need something to clarify a wine that someone has shaken up in transport.
This filter Amazon.com looks like one I have seen in a restaurant. Any users out there? I see one negative review of it; all others are positive.
I have the old-fashioned silver (not stainless) funnel with a screen. It was a gift and looks nice, but the screen is not that fine and it can leave a lot of sediment, so I’d probably recommend something like the above link for better performance.
Personally I wouldn’t bother, they will only remove the large solids, once that fine sediment has been distributed throughout the wine the flavors get dirty anyhow.
I wish people would double decant before taking older wines to dinner/tastings (pet peeve).
Upon inspection, the mesh insert is fine but not super-duper teesny-weensy fine - it’s conceivable that some silty sediment could pass through. In practice that hasn’t been an issue in my limited experience.
I think that WMF one is what I have now. I had a different one that I think I preferred better, but I got it as a gift 6-7 years ago and haven’t located it. The WMF is OK, but it does let through more sediment that I was used to with the old one. It does a decent job, but not as good as the one I used to have (it may have been the Swissmar, but I can’t be sure).
The screen is fine enough it can easily get clogged by a wine with lots of solids, which I guess is what you want. It’s no substitute for carefully handling a wine with sediment, but I find good for catching the pieces that still find their way out of the bottle.
Filters are really only reasonable for catching cork bits. Red wine sediment is generally quite fine and decanting is the answer. A filter fine enough to catch the sedinment would reduce the flow and likely clog.
For Port I use a gold-wire coffee filter (that is only used for Port) that does a better job than cheese-cloth. But Port sediment is quite different.
I have a friend who decants through coffee filters … which works, but I don’t think is good for the wine. I never have sediment issues when decanting (my experience only goes back to 1928, but same approach works for even older).
I have one of these, and they are good to take along when you don’t have the ability to double-decant before you go somewhere. It actually does a pretty good job, too.
I agree! Some people are lazy and some are simply oblivious to the effect of sediment on the color and the taste.
And some may fear that an old wine double decanted will die by the time it gets to the restaurant/party. That is not the case; once the cleaned wine is back in its original bottle the oxidization process slows down dramatically. I have never “lost” a bottle through double decanting and that includes 40 and 50 year old wines.
Some good comments here. Thanks. More are welcome…
I appreciate that advice. My main fear for double-decanting is that exposure to air will kill the wine. I have had tastes of other people’s bottles at offlines that have been ruined by cloudy sediment in the wine. My solution has been, if I’m worried about it, just enjoy those wines at home, and bring less fragile bottles to events.
Since I taste/drink Port for my livelihood, I encounter more sediment than most. I’ve tried the majority of funnel/filters that are commerically available and have had lots of experience with innovative “devices” but not all sediment is alike. That being said, I find that a piece of cheesecloth that is folded up and has 4x depth, will capture nearly all sediment, even the very fine granular type. This works best in conjunction with almost any other type of funnel including wire mesh or even just a plastic culinary funnel. Cheesecloth is more hygenic (used by chefs around the globe for bouquet garni and clarifying stocks) and less invasive than coffee filters and leaves zero taste/smell.
I worry, though, about the filtering and the loss of subtle nuances that Burgundy has. I want to taste what the winemaker put in the bottle, not after going through four layers of cheesecloth or other filtration. Just double decant and bring to the restaurant; I’m also in the camp that has not seen older wines deteriorate after this treatment.
Generally we use the Haley’s Corker to capture the big stuff, while supplying some air too. The fine sediment should sink to the bottom of the decanter and be non-existent if double decanted.
Cost is about 3.50 to 5.00. They also aerate younger wines, keep fruit flies out and seal pretty well.
Why use a filter to start with? Just decant the wine over a bright light until you see the fine sediment arriving at the neck. I’ve found that the fine sediment from wines >15 years, especially burgundy, will not settle in a few hours. Just my opinion, and less expensive than purchasing more hardware.
Realistically, the bottle should be stood up for 2 days so the sediment will settle to the bottom. No jostling while the cork is removed. Slowly pour into decanter until sediment is seen in the flashlight illuminated neck. Allow both the bottle and decanter to rest for one hour. Slowly pour wine from the decanter into a second decanter monitoring for sediment. Rinse and dry used decanter. Slowly pour wine from the bottle (if there is enough to worry about, usually is on an old bottle), monitoring sediment. Allow both decanters to rest for one hour. Slowly pour wine from the secondary decanter into the primary decanter, monitoring sediment. Primary decanter is pretty much ready for the dinner/party.
Alternative:
Filter-funnel you recommend for clearing sediment?
I think all agree. Paul’s point is that sometimes people bring wines to dinners that have the sediment all muddled and, rather than drink it, he wanted an option to filter the wine, hence this thread.
alan
