There is no more elegant bird than the Swan, so Riedel thought it only fitting that their new Swan decanter should embody the same natural grace. The body of the decanter mimics the gentle curvature of the form of a Swan, forming “J” shape with an exaggeratedly elongated straight neck that narrows to the elliptical lip. Wine is simply poured into the wider opening of the Swan’s “tail” (which also forms a natural handle for services) then effortlessly poured into the glass from the narrow “neck”. As fascinating to look at as it is functional to use, the Swan decanter does the job of separating sediment from older wines, while allowing the younger ones to aerate and mature. Mouth-blown and made of lead crystal, the Swan holds a standard 750ml bottle of wine. – 2007/02 – 0 – C43