Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Aerators are fun - and now handy

I'm not much into decanting wine, the container is a hassle to pour from and don't get me started on having to clean the thing. The only value that I see in a decanting vessel is that they are less likely to fall over than a bottle of wine when placed upon the carpet in front of the tv... where I normally find myself enjoying a bottle.

I think there is now an alternative to the decanting hassle in the new gadget called the Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator. It's a handheld tool that when used improves the drinking experience. I did a few blind tastings using the Vinturi and not -- and the biggest difference I can make out is that when aerated the taste is less tannic. I used the aerator with a '06 Tapiz malbec, '99 Jessup Cellars Carneros merlot, '06 Cosentino tempranillo - among others and can say that results are similar in each case. The pours using the Vinturi opened up the bouquets and took the initial edge from the recently opened bottles.

One of the downsides of the Vinturi Wine Aerator is it can be messy if wine is poured too quickly into it. So I recommend filling the aerator slowly until it reaches the top lip and then let the wine ease out -- your glass may not be as full as a normal pour, but so what... you'll find that you may just enjoy the wine for a longer period of time with the smaller pours.

You can find the aerator at WineEnthusiast.com, BevMo.com, and eBay for $30 or so.

Let me know what you think about it!
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