If you are a wine lover, you already know that some wines, especially red wines, can benefit from aerating (adding oxygen) before drinking them. Aeration works by allowing the wine to oxidize. The increased oxidation softens the tannins and seems to smooth out the wine. This is particularly true of young (not aged) red wines, especially reds that may have high tannic profiles. Aerating lets the tannins mellow a bit and adds to a smother-tasting wine experience.
Also aerating allows you to better smell the wine, not just the alcohol. Sulfites in wine also disperse when you let the wine breathe. The smell is a big part of what we taste so it’s another reason to use a wine aerator.
Consider the VinOAir!
You can let a red wine “breathe” (add oxygen) by decanting it or pouring it into glasses and letting them sit for about 15-20 minutes.
But there is a quicker way:
Whether you’re drinking wine at home, at a picnic, camping, or some other place, you can improve your wine quickly and effectively with a VinOAir Wine Aerator. It is an on-the-bottle wine aerator that multi-tasks to aerate the wine, pour it, and act as a drip stopper. It has a gravity-activated hinged cap and a removable sediment filter (you can buy refills from CorkPops). If you want to take it when you travel you can stow it in a hard-sided clear carrying case.
I’m not going to be into all the intricacies of the design, but the VinOAir is a high-tech gadget made in the USA, The aerator has a specially designed, dual venturi chamber that pulls twice the vacuum as the leading venturi-based aerators (20 as opposed to a usual 10-inch vacuum). This really helps you oxygenate the wine more effectively.
Testing Out the VinOAir
I tested this out to see if it really made a difference in an affordable wine I had for dinner one night. It did smooth out the tannins and enhanced the aroma for a better drinking experience. But what I really loved was the “pour-ability.” The all-in-one aerator/pourer/drip stop goes into the bottle so it can be dispensed from glass to glass. Most aerators work by pouring wine into a spout and holding it over the glass. The VinOAir lets you use the bottle to pour the wine without having to stop. A food-grade rubber ring with an airtight seal makes for a no-drip pour every time.
It’s easy to use, just remove the cork (or cap) from your bottle of wine, and insert the VinOAir into the bottle with the return value facing up. When you’re done pouring, rinse it with warm water.
Great Gift Idea:
Why am I devoting an entire story to the VinOAir? Advicesisters.com has enjoyed other CorkPops items. But at just $20 (or $29 for a deluxe version) on the Cork Pops Website, the VinOAir is a sophisticated wine gadget that will make a welcome gift for a new grad, couple, or weekend host/hostess.
