Originally Posted by Swissaire

The origin of using a decanter in Europe was primarily to reduce sediment.

Full bodied, better red wines stored in caverns were always viewed with a candle behind the bottle first for the same reason. Pouring newly opened wine into a decanter is never rushed for that reason.

The secondary use of a decanter today ( and the point of discussion regarding a blender ) is also to allow the wine to " bloom. " Sans blender allow you to enjoy long conversations over a meal with guests, for an hour or so. The wine gets better over an hour or so, as the meal progresses.

Having seen the film " In Time, " the use of a blender might make sense if one is hurried and constantly out of time. I choose to relax and aerate in a decanter or weinheber. Keep in mind an old saying: No matter how expensive the wine is, an hour in air and it is just as flat as the inexpensive bottle.