Equipment Archives

November 29, 2019November 29, 2019

Vinturi V1010 Wine Aerator

When it comes to wine aeration, I am an agnostic. I rarely aerate these days, and when I do I usually use a decanter. For me, decanting and waiting an hour or two offers the best chance of improving a wine’s flavor and aroma.

But, there are many gadgets available for aerating a wine either by the glass or an entire bottle, and this Vinturi V1010 aerator is one that I have relied on for years. It is nicely designed, well built, and couldn’t be simpler to operate. Just hold it above your container, and pour the wine.

The one shortcoming my Vinturi has is that it did not come with a screen for filtering out sediment. I’m happy to note that the current model includes just such a filter. Vinturi does sell replacement filters in five packs now, as well.

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November 19, 2019April 13, 2020

The Best Corkscrew

Le Creuset Wine Opener

Is this really the best corkscrew? With hundreds of devices on amazon alone for opening wine bottles, some costing hundreds of dollars, I realize this is a bold claim. But yes. For the money, the Le Creuset Wine Opener simply can’t be beat. It’s dead-simple to use, and works correctly every time. The Teflon-coated worm pierces the cork with ease, and simply continuing to turn the handle then extracts it smoothly.

This corkscrew was originated by Hallen International Inc., and sold for years under the Screwpull trademark. In 1991, Le Creuset acquired the Screwpull line, but didn’t rebrand it until the early ‘teens. Le Creuset makes a number of other corkscrews, including a cheaper model that resembles this one. Although it operates on the same principle, it is flimsier, prone to breakage, and gets mixed reviews on Amazon.

Although nothing lasts forever, in 30 years I’ve only owned three copies of this Le Creuset Wine Opener, one of which was broken by a rowdy party guest.

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November 12, 2019November 18, 2019

Food Saver Bottle Stoppers

If you have a Food Saver vacuum sealing machine, these bottle stoppers are indispensable. They work on the same principle as the better known Vacu Vin sealing system, but are far more effective.

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November 12, 2019November 18, 2019

Cork Pops Waiter’s Ratchet Corkscrew

Many people, including some servers themselves, are intimidated or bewildered by so-called waiter’s corkscrews. That’s too bad, because once mastered they can be highly portable and simple to use.

One such corkscrew is the Ratchet Corkscrew from Cork Pops. It is it is nicely designed and built like a tank. Perhaps too much so, because it limits its portability. Unfortunately, the ratchet mechanism is more of a gimmick than a useful feature, and makes the corkscrew more complicated than it needs to be (although it could be handy for wine drinkers with limited hand mobility and strength).

Top of page: https://winervana.com/blog/