Vinturi 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.
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, this corkscrew 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 2010s. 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 corkscrew, one of which was broken by a rowdy party guest.
UPDATE: It would appear that Le Creuset discontinued the more robust original Screwpull design in favor of their cheaper model. Still worth having. Buy it on Amazon.
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Food Saver Bottle Stoppers
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.
They are made to fit standard wine bottles (and many other standard-size bottles or containers). The stoppers are BPA-free for food safety and non-toxic storage.
The core idea is that once you open a bottle, oxygen (i.e. air) is your enemy — it causes oxidation, which degrades wines (and many oils/infusions) over time. Vacuum-sealing removes a lot of that air (or at least reduces oxygen exposure), which slows down the deterioration process.
Once vacuum-sealed correctly, the bottle is more airtight than with a simple cork or cap, which helps maintain flavor and quality.
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Ratchet Corkscrew
Cork Pops 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.