Wine Aerators

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

I like the look of this wine aerator (nice Danish design) and was thinking of buying one for red wine. It sounds good but I'm wondering if anyone has one or has any comments on function etc?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Oxz7OE3UY

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

IMO I like these the first one works like the one above only much smaller and less parts

http://www.amazon.com/Soiree-bottle-...ywords=aerator

Now I like this one cause it has a mesh to catch any of the sediment that is from older wines
http://www.amazon.com/Metrokane-Rabb...d_bxgy_k_img_y

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I use a Vinturi.



I picked one up at woot.com for about $20 during a woot-off. With a red wine that I think might need some breathing to open up, I first pour a small portion into a wine glass using the Vinturi, then I give a it a minute or two to settle down. Then I pour a taste of the unaerated wine and compare. If the aeration is helping then I will generally transfer the rest of the bottle into a decanter, using the Vinturi. BTW - the Vinturi also has a mesh screen that catches sediment.

The cheap man's aerator is to open the bottle and pour about half a glass of wine. Then put the cork back in, shake the bottle for three or four minutes, and give the wine about five minutes breathing time before uncorking the bottle again.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

We bought one in Napa Valley recently. I was going to take it to New York City but forgot. It is a Vin-Aire and does make a difference. It is only for red wines.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

We bought one in Napa Valley recently. I was going to take it to New York City but forgot. It is a Vin-Aire and does make a difference. It is only for red wines.

Emmy I removed the link because when I clicked on it AVG antivirus came up and said it stopped a virus.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I like the look of this wine aerator (nice Danish design) and was thinking of buying one for red wine. It sounds good but I'm wondering if anyone has one or has any comments on function etc?

An additional thought. In my opinion, the usefulness of an aerator depends greatly on the types of wines that a person prefers (and I'm limiting my comments to red wines as red wines are the ones where breathing is a significant factor). There are many wines that are made in what is often called an "International style"; some refer to these as Parkerized wines because the style has evolved to match the characteristics that generate the highest ratings from highly influential wine critic Robert Parker. These wines are characterized by having intense and immediate fruitiness; the objective is to generate a strong and immediate burst of flavor that fills the mouth and sustains as long as possible. Wines produced in this style, IMHO, do not benefit much from aeration; in fact aeration can worsen them by accelerating the loss or breakdown of the flavors t hat are in the bottle at the time it is opened..

The other end of the wine making spectrum is what is called "old world". These wines are not as intensely fruity or jammy. There is greater emphasis on producing of substantial body and complexity, where the flavors kind of evolve in the mouth. Most good old world wines are very food friendly, because they don't overpower food as the Parker wines often do. IMHO - there are often the wines that benefit from aeration and breathing.

Finally there are the large scale production wines n the $5 to $10 price range. Virtually all of these are designed to be "pop-and-pour" and have little to no need for aeration. (There are certainly some wines in that price range that are not "pop-and-pour" but none of these are large scale production wines.)

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

Thanks everyone. I'm using the Vinturi but it's a bit cumbersome when pouring for a lot of people. I liked the idea of getting the wine back in the original bottle (with the 'breather') so people can see what they are drinking and not having to bother with the aerator at the table. Getting lazy I think.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

By far the easiest way to aerate wine is to just pour it into a decanter and give it some breathing time. The only reason to use any kind of aerator is due to lack of time.

And using an aerator is an inferior substitute for proper decanting. When breathing is needed an aerator is better than nothing, but it does not replace proper decanting.

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

The only reason to use any kind of aerator is due to lack of time.

... and my problem - lack of planning

I generally serve a few different wines (fussy friends) and don't decant much because I lose track of which wine is in which decanter.

Do you have a formula for aeration timing and system for tracking wines moving around the table?

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

... and my problem - lack of planning

I generally serve a few different wines (fussy friends) and don't decant much because I lose track of which wine is in which decanter.

Do you have a formula for aeration timing and system for tracking wines moving around the table?

I generally only have one bottle open at a time; if I have two open only one will be a wine that needs to breathe, and that will be in the decanter.

[Ryne08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryne08]

I also have the Vinturi and it is great for red wines.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

This has got to be the best deal I have seen plus free shipping, You have 24 hours to buy.
http://www.dealgenius.com/wine-globe...ess-spout.html