A short history of decanter labels

by Hugh Johnson

The silver decanter label is one of Britain's minor but distinctive contributions to European culture. It appeared as a practical device, to identify the otherwise anonymous wine in a decanter, and soon became a pretty conceit, the flourish of a gracious host.

But first, why the decanter? In 17 th century France wine was served at dinner from bottles on a sideboard. Bottles were never put on the table, and even glasses were handed back to the servant after drinking. The English, though, did most of their wine drinking after the ladies had retired. The servants left, and bottles were passed around the table: claret, port and sometimes Madeira or other sweet wines from Iberia. The great promoter of the English glass industry, George Ravenscroft, developed the decanter as a prettier thing than a rough dark green bottle, and by the early 18 th century a silver 'bottle ticket', as it was known, was being hung round the neck of each decanter to announce its contents. Every British silversmith tried his hand with these little labels. 'Gentlemen's jewellery' was one description of them.

As the range of wines available grew, the designs of decanter labels kept pace. Only in the middle of the 19 th century did paper labels become general on wine bottles. By then wine was being decanted for a more gastronomic reason: to pour it clear of sediment and give it the opportunity to 'breathe'.

The British Lion