I agree and not just an unconsciously acquired habit.
Carafe is the term usually used for a pitcher of water in Parisian cafés and restaurants. If you ask for “une carafe d’eau”, you will get something between 25cl and 1l depending on the place you’re in and on the number of guests at your table. Water by the glass or in a carafe is free when ordered with food. Should you just ask for water, you would probably be end up being offered bottled water (either “plate”/still or “pétillante”/sparkling) which is not free and might indeed on occasions be surprisingly expensive.
That said, if you order an old vintage red wine in an upscale restaurant, they may ask you whether you want it served in a “carafe”, meaning decanter in that context.
To get a carafe of wine, one usually asks for “un pichet de vingt-cinq” or “un quart (pronounce ‘car’) de (vin rouge, de blanc, de rosé, de bordeaux, de sancerre…)” for 25cl or for “un pichet de cinquante” for 50cl. If you order “une carafe de vin”, you will of course get your wine. It’s not really incorrect but clearly unusual.
So far, I’ve rarely if ever seen house wine offered in 1l pitchers in a Parisian café or restaurant.
I’ve tried to be precise here and hope my comments do not come across as obnoxiously pompous.
Santé !
