What Is the Use of a Wine Aerator?

A wine aerator brings out the flavor in your wine.

While some people simply want to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, other people have turned drinking wine into a real passion. Wine enthusiasts know that the flavor and taste of wine goes beyond what bottle you buy. Certain accessories, such as a wine aerator, allow the drinker to enjoy the full flavor of the wine, glass by glass.

Use

A wine aerator works as a filter for wine. The top of the aerator has a large opening, followed by a filtering tunnel and a smaller opening at the bottom. The discerning consumer pours a bottle of wine through the top opening. The wine funnels through the filter and comes out the opening at the end.

You can purchase glass, plastic or metal wine aerators. Aerators vary by size and shape. Some models were designed for a visual appeal; other models were designed for practicality. For example, one aerator may have a filter that catches the eye while another may have a rubber grip over the filter, which makes it easier to hold.

Benefits

Wine aerators take the place of decanters for red wine. Allowing red wine to breath helps improve both its clarity and its flavor. With a decanter, the red wine sits in an open container for a long period of time, exposing the wine to oxygen. An aerator also allows the wine to breath, but speeds up the process by pushing it through a filter. Some aerators also filter out particles inside the wine, giving a cleaner taste.

Accessories

Many aerators come with a sediment strainer. The strainer has a small mesh basket that fits inside the top of the aerator. When you pour the wine through the aerator, the strainer catches any particles inside the wine. Some aerators also come with a holder. The holder protects the aerator from breaking when not in use and can also act as a drip tray. When placed inside, the holder catches any remaining wine drips from the aerator and allows the device to dry properly.

Brands

Vinturi makes several wine aerators. The basic model includes a glass design, sediment strainer and holder. The deluxe model has a glass holder, which eliminates the need for holding the device by hand when pouring the wine. Vinturi also makes an aerator for white wine. Final Touch makes several simple glass wine aerator models. Peugeot also carries a line of wine aerators.

References

• Red Wine Benefits: Red Wine Aerator Pourer
• "Philadelphia City Paper"; Delicious or Suspicious: Vinturi Wine Aerator; November 2009
• Beverage Factory: Wine Aerators