Let’s take a look at some of the most essential wine gadgets to get your wine hobby going.
Wine Opener
Even Houdini would agree that it’s hard to break into a bottle of wine without a corkscrew. Wine openers come in all shapes, sizes, and price points. Openers range from the beginner friendly bunny ear design, to the wine enthusiast’s choice: the waiter’s friend.
Decent Set of Wine Glasses
A proper wine glass really does make a difference! In fact, a recent study from Japan on Scientific American demonstrated that the shape of a glass affects how the flavor of wine is perceived.
So now that sippy cups and Nalgene bottles are off the table, wine lovers simply have to choose between stemmed vs. stemless, and crystal vs. glass. While some experts argue that stemless wine glasses cause unsightly finger prints and too much heat transfer, the downsides are pretty minimal. As for crystal glass vs. regular glass, crystal wins because it can be spun to have a strong, yet thin rim.
Decanter / Aerator
Aerating or decanting wine is a simple method of exposing wine to oxygen, which helps smooth out harsh tannins and bitterness, while releasing aromas. Sure, wines aerate slightly as they pour from the bottle into your glass, but these tools increase the rate at which oxygen brings forth the wine’s best characteristics. Most often aerating and decanting are reserved for red wines, but they are perfectly suitable for some white and rosés as well.
But which gadget is right for you? Well, the simplest answer comes down to just how long you’re willing to wait before taking the first sip.
Wine Preserver
Once the cork has been popped, a wine becomes extremely vulnerable to oxidation (excessive exposure to oxygen, wine’s unique form of kryptonite). Keeping oxygen at bay is the only way to prolong how long a wine lasts, and the only way to do that is to invest in a wine preserver. Preservers come in several different varieties, though the most popular is likely the vacuum pump.
Souce Winefolly.com