Why You Need A Wine Aerator

There’s nothing like a good glass of wine with dinner, or while enjoying time with friends. If you love wine, own a cellar, and would like to make a good bottle taste even better, you will want to add a wine aerator to your kitchen. Once you have taken the taste challenge of trying your favorite wine with and without a wine aerator, you will be converted to using this handy device whenever enjoying a bottle of vino.

What is a Wine Aerator?

A wine aerator is a simple device that forces oxygen into the wine as you pour it, resulting in increased bouquet and smoother, fuller taste. You have probably heard that wine, especially red wine, should have time to “breathe” before being consumed. Exposure to oxygen amplifies wines undertones, leading to a more complex, full-bodied wine.

You might think simply uncorking the bottle is enough exposure, but the narrow neck of the bottle does not expose nearly enough surface area of the wine to the air, and does little to improve the taste. Pouring wine into a glass and letting it sit does improve the aeration, but requires a wait time before drinking for full benefits.

A wine aerator improves wine as you pour it, eliminating any need to wait before enjoying your glass of wine, and making even a less-expensive vintage taste like quality. An aerator will also soften the taste of tannin, which is a compound found naturally in grape skins that can give a bitter quality to the taste of wine.

Using a wine aerator is as simple as pouring the wine. There are two basic types of aerators; those that screw onto the end of the bottle, and those that are held over the glass while the wine is poured through the device. Both operate on the same principle. Multiple channels pull air in while wine pours out, mixing just the right amount of oxygen into the wine for best flavor.

Recommended Aerators

There are many popular aerators on the market. Aerators are inexpensive, generally less than $40, but can be found at a discount at Amazon.com or Target and similar stores.

• Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator

Made of acrylic, the Vinturi has a cup-like upper portion where you pour the wine, and a lower, spout-shaped area that mixes oxygen into the wine while it fills your glass. Simply hold the device over your wine glass, pour wine through, and taste the rich results. It includes a stand for convenient storing between uses.

• Soiree Bottle-Top Wine Decanter and Aerator

Made of hand-blown glass, the Soiree is as decorative as it is useful. Designed to fit into the neck of any bottle, the aerator has a ball-shaped, dimpled chamber that provides extra surface area for exposing wine to oxygen. It includes a stand for storage.

• Metrokane Rabbit Wine Aerating Pourer

Simply insert the Metrokane Rabbit into any wine bottle and pour. The sturdy plastic aerator swirls the wine as it pours through, improving the flavor and bouquet of your favorite wine. The Rabbit comes apart for easy cleaning.

• Nicholas VinOair Wine Aerator

Perfect for travel, the VinOair is a pocket size aerator that screws into the neck of any wine bottle. The dual oxygen chamber is highly effective in mixing oxygen into wine, and is virtually drip-free.

Other Wine Accessories

Once you have discovered the benefits of a wine aerator, you may find yourself enjoying a glass of good wine more frequently. A few other wine accessories will add to your experience.

• Wine Saver

This handy device is just the ticket when you have a partial bottle of wine leftover at the end of the evening. A wine saver has a small vacuum pump that removes air from an opened bottle, and a rubber stopper that keeps the wine fresh for up to ten days. The Vacu Vin Wine Saver Pump and Stopper is a popular model, and costs under $15. Using it is as simple as placing a stopper in the bottle, then pumping the air out until you feel slight resistance. It takes less than a minute to seal your bottle for another day, so no more wasting good wine.

• Opener

Sure, you could struggle with a corkscrew the old-fashioned way, but that only takes away from the time you could be enjoying the wine. The Oster Electric Wine-Bottle Opener makes quick work of the cork, removing it within seconds. It powers up on a recharging base for cord-free operation. The included foil cutter easily removes the wine bottle seal, then you simply place the Opener over the cork, push the “On” button, and like magic, the Electric Wine-Bottle Opener removes the cork, withdrawing it completely and cleanly. No more fishing out crumbs of cork from your glass of wine. Purchase the Oster Electric Wine-Bottle Opener for less than $20.

A wine aerator may seem like an unnecessary gimmick, but once you have tasted the difference in wine with and without, you will be convinced. For the low price of an aerator, you can have wine that tasted like you spent much more. If you are a true lover of good wine, you will be thrilled with this simple device. (For meal ideas to pair with your wine, see Valentine’s Day Dinner Recipes, The Best Quick Italian Recipesand Quick & Easy Dinner Recipes).