A decanter is a vessel that is used to hold the decantation of a liquid (such as wine) which may contain sediment. Decanters are normally used as serving vessels for wine. Decanters vary in shape and design. They are usually made of an inert material (such as glass) and will hold at least one standard bottle of wine (0.75 litre). A similar kind of vessel, the carafe /kəˈræf/, is used for serving wine as well as other drinks, but is not supplied with a stopper.