So that wines rich in content can develop their full aroma, it is best to transfer them from the bottle into a decanter. With these so-called decanters, the wine runs liberally into the decanter and in so doing is enriched with oxygen. The decanter has a rounded shape which gives the wine a lot of surface area to absorb further oxygen. The slender neck of the decanter bottle means the air can circulate in batches without the bouquet escaping. Decanting comes from the French and means to "clarify or strain". For a long time, only mature red wines which had been stored property were decanted in order to separate then from any deposits. Today, young red wines and certain white wines such as Chardonnay and Riesling are also decanted.