Late Victorian Wine Decanting Machine by Farrow & Jackson

A rare late Victorian Number One wine decanting machine by Farrow & Jackson of London & Paris

Machines such as these continue to be used today and were developed in the nineteenth century to create a means of separating the sediments from red wine either for direct pouring to the glass or more often as an aid to the decanting process.

The machine is formed of an ebonised wooden based bearing the original brass plaque for the famous wine & spirt merchants, Farrow & Jackson. A brass wine cradle is supported on two brass pillars with a threaded brass screw mechanism with a wooden handle to one end to allow for the slow tilting of the wine.

Farrow & Jackson was founded in 1798 and was based at 16 Great Tower Street, London and later in Paris, they continued in business into the latter part of the twentieth century and during their history worked extensively for the Royal Family including Queen Victoria at St James and Buckingham Palace. Their catalogue from 1898 is still available in facsimile and includes this piece, described as their, “Number One (recommended) Decanting Machine, with adjustment for pints, quarts & Burgundy”.