How you open a bottle of wine, how you allow the wine breathe and how you get that grape goodness down your gullet is incredibly important. While this may be a passing thought as you scramble to open your wine, these items can definitely impact your tasting experience. Proper wine tools are just as important as the wine you plan to drink, so why not get the best of the best?
I have decided to revive the Frugal Feature: Wine Tools post, created back in February. Previously, this post was geared toward the frugal versions of three very important wine accouterments: a wine opener, a wine decanter and wine glasses. Now, I am bringing you the best of these items.
While some of them may seem pricey, they are truly worth every penny when it comes to improving your wine drinking experience.
Truetap Wine Key: $5.09 - Unlike beer, you cannot use the corner of a table, a car key or your teeth to open a bottle of wine - assuming the wine bottle is enclosed with a cork. If you are struggling to open a screw cap bottle of wine, you may need assistance beyond this blog post.
There are so many wine openers out there and many of them are expensive and pointless - except for your basic wine key. People often steer clear because they require more work than a push of a button to open the bottle.
Yes... wine keys leave room for errors like breaking the cork or cutting yourself on the foil, but they are worth the struggle. Using a wine key is an art form that everyone can and should learn. Take a look at this video for a quick tutorial on how to properly use a wine key.
The Truetap wine key is less than ten bucks so if you lose it, it is no big deal. They come in fun colors, but I suggest the stainless steel. This is because I have had other wine keys that were plated in a color and the paint has chipped off. Obviously this can be problematic if one of the flakes of paint gets into your wine. Yuck!
Wine Decanter: $49.95 - A decent decanter is certainly an important wine tool. It can be argued it is not as necessary as a wine opener, for obvious reasons.
A decanter is important to have because it separates the wine from any sediment in the bottle and it allows oxygen to open up the wine. Oxygen integrating into the wine releases compounds that have an effect on the aroma of the wine and the overall tasting experience.
Don't believe me?! Put your lips right on that bottle of wine and take a swig. The wine will seem tight with little aroma to detect.
Try it again after you put it through this Wine Breather and you will smell all of the nuances the winemaker intended.
The Wine Breather is my favorite wine decanter. You open the bottle, set the decanter on top (a rubber cap secures the wine bottle), flip it over like the picture on the left depicts, allow all of the liquid to breathe into the decanter, once the bottle is empty, flip it over and allow all of the liquid back into the wine bottle.
Boom! Your wine is ready to drink! Unlike many other decanters you do not need to wait 30 minutes after you pour the bottle of wine into the decanter for it to open up. With the Wine Breather it is ready immediately because it went through an aerator in the decanting process.
Bonus: the wine is put back into the bottle so if for some reason a disaster occurs and you do not finish the bottle of wine, you can simply re-cork it!
Wine Glass $28.20 (for two) - Your wine glass can noticeably enhance your wine drinking experience. If you have browsed the aisles of HomeGoods you know that there are a ton of wine glasses out there. But you only need basic RED wine glasses.
The reason I put emphasis on red wine glasses, is because they will work for any type of wine: red, white or rosé. The wide brim of the glass allows the wine to continue to breathe and for you to smell all of the delicious aromas.
You should invest in stemware. Yes stem! I know the stemless glasses are cool and can fit in the dishwasher, but your grubby hands will be all you can smell with every sip of wine you take.
Riedel Wine Glasses are a phenomenal quality and worth the hefty price. You only really need to have two for each wine drinker in the house. I say two per person because this way if you are comparing a wine or still have not washed your glass from the night before, you will have an extra glass. I only have four ...well had (I literally just broke one) of these glasses and I do not allow our more clumsy guests to use them.
Keep in mind, SIP happens! Your wine glasses will break and you will need to replace them. Drinking is much like a sport, after excessive use - equipment needs to be replaced.
If you do not already have them, I hope you are inspired to hop online and get yourself these three must have wine tools.
Don't want to fork up the cash? Be sure to enter in the upcoming @the.wine.tails Instagram Giveaway! Once I get to 3,000 follower's one lucky winner from the giveaway will receive these must have wine tools and some celebratory Vinpop popcorn!
These products have been linked and can be found on Amazon.
Comment below with your thoughts on these must have wine tools. Let me know if I missed you favorite wine tool. You can also share your thoughts on Facebook. I can't wait to read your comments.
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