18 Sep Let Your Wine Breathe!
The Soiree in Action
In the world of wine, one of the newest accessory trends, Wine Aerators, won’t make your wine look better but WILL make your wine taste better. These devices aerate red wines, which used to be done by decanting. Decanting involves aerating a whole bottle. Aerators, though, allow you to do one glass at a time.
Aerating provides two main benefits when drinking young red wines. First, it softens the harsh tannins of the wine, giving it a smoother, more elegant finish. Second, it unleashes the wine’s aromas and enhances fruit flavors faster than swirling the wine in your glass will do. Add up all the benefits and you get a better tasting glass of wine for an investment of only $25-$40. Here are three you should consider:
- Soiree: The Soiree fits in the neck of the bottle. As you pour, the wine is exposed to oxygen in a specially designed glass chamber. With this aerator, you can see the wine as it travels through the chamber, making the aeration fun to watch. Soiree comes with different gaskets that fit both bottles with corks and screw cap closures. It comes with a stand and can be customized with graphics for a special event or fundraiser. This is a great aerator for home or restaurant use but, given its size
The Vinturi Aerator
and that it is made of glass, traveling with the Soiree could be a bit difficult. Soiree retails for about $25. (www.winesoiree.com)
- Vinturi: The design of the Vinturi is based on the discoveries of Giovanni Battista Venturi in the late 18thcentury. He found that as the speed of a liquid increases, the pressure decreases, allowing oxygen to enter. Wine is poured through the unit as it is held over the top of the wine glass. The Vinturi is made from clear acrylic so you can watch your wine as it passes through. Pouring the wine through the Vinturi could get a bit messy but the acrylic makes it more resistant to breakage. Like the Soiree, I think this is best for use at home. Vinturi retails for about $40. (www.vinturi.com)
- Nuance Wine Finer: This Danish designed unit fits into the nec
k of the bottle. The Nuance is made of silicone and has a series of stainless steel filters that aerate while also filtering out any sediment that might be in the bottle. Got to love multitasking! It also has a lid that allows you to seal the bottle for use the next day while leaving the Nuance in place. This unit is sturdy and easy to travel with so if you are always on the go this is the one for you. Nuance retails for about $30. (www.nuancewineaerator.com)
Of course, you can always choose to age your wine a bit longer in order to soften the tannins and let the bouquet develop but if you just can’t wait, these aerators are a good alternative to Father Time or a big decanter. Whatever you choose, your red wine will taste that much better once you let it breathe.