Are wine aerators worth it? Experts weigh in
Wine aerators can make wine taste more multidimensional — here’s what to know before buying one.
Coravin Timeless Wine Preservation System
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$249.95
A wine aerator is meant to oxidize wine and enhance its natural flavor. “An aerator accelerates the introduction of oxygen into the wine,” says Richard Vayda, director of wine and beverage studies at the Institute of Culinary Education. “The same thing would happen if you opened a bottle, poured some out and let it sit, but at a slower rate.” A wine aerator essentially exacerbates the age of the wine, in a sense, which can be beneficial to some types of wine and not so much for others.
When you open a bottle of wine and immediately pour it into a glass to drink, the wine doesn’t have much exposure to oxygen due to the small neck of the bottle — this is where aerating comes in. As an alternative, wine is often aerated or poured into a wine decanter, a gadget used to increase the wine’s contact with oxygen quickly before the wine goes stale, according to Vayda.
When making this list, I considered different wine aerator types as well as each one’s ease of use. I also took into account wine experts’ guidance; below are some key factors they recommend keeping in mind:
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This list is made up of direct recommendations from wine experts, including instructors, sommeliers, and winemakers as well as options that are highly rated online.
The Coravin Timeless Wine Preservation System comes highly recommended by Julie Lumgair, a winemaker, wine educator and owner of Art Nouveau Wine, who has used it in her Napa Valley wine tasting rooms for about seven years. Shelikes that it includes a wine needle, which allows you to not only pierce the cork in a bottle and pour from it without actually opening the bottle, but it also maintains the quality of the wine for up to three to nine months, she says. The small piercing from the needle will then reseal over time, preserving the wine, according to the brand. The set itself includes the aerator, argon capsules (used to pressurize the bottle and allow for wine flow), standard screw caps, a wine needle cleaner and a bottle sleeve. “It’s an excellent way to sample a fine bottle without having to fully open and use the whole bottle quickly,” says Lumgair.
Type: On-bottle | Weight: 1.28 lbs.
This wine aerator uses technology to increase the velocity of the wine as it pours out of the bottle through the spout — this ultimately increases the amount of oxygen that’s infused into the wine, according to the brand. The spout is purposefully slanted at 150 degrees to make it easier to pour at any angle and the notched opening helps prevent dripping or splashing as you pour the wine, according to the brand. The bottom of the aerator includes a thin tube that’s attached to a flow regulator, which spreads out the wine, further incorporating oxygen into the mixture. It has a 4.6-star average rating from more than 17,000 reviews on Amazon.
Type: On-bottle | Weight: 1.28 oz.
This multipurpose aerator comes highly recommended from Frichette, who says that it’s simple to use and she and her husband use it regularly in their tasting room daily. “It aerates but is also a bottle stopper so we can preserve wine for use the next day,” she says. “It also prevents wine from spilling on the bottle, keeping the label nice and clean for presentation.” It acts as a stopper, filter, pour spout and re-corker in addition to a wine aerator and you can also use it on spirits, oils, vinegars and syrups, according to the brand.
Type: On-bottle | Weight: 0.81 oz.
This wine aerator set from Tomeem does the work of multiple gadgets, which makes enjoying a bottle of wine easy and fast. The set has an electric wine corkscrew to remove the cork from the bottle without strain. The aerator attaches to the top of the bottle and doubles as a dispenser. All you have to do is position the spout over your glass before drinking. Plus, the aerator attachment has a on and off switch that allows you to control how much aeration you apply to the wine.
Type: On-bottle | Weight: 0.81 oz.
Lumgair also recommends the Aerawine Wine Aerator, which is simple in design and fits right into the opening of the uncorked wine bottle. Like a traditional stopper-style wine aerator, this oxidizes the wine as you pour it from the bottle into a glass or decanter. The top of the aerator includes a sleek plastic spout constructed in a way that the wine pours out smoothly and without drips, according to the brand. It’s also easy to install — you simply twist it as you press it into the bottle, according to Aerawine. To clean it, you can take it apart and wash as needed.
Type: On-bottle | Weight: 1.44 oz.
Vayda and Frichette both recommended Vinturi as a brand to know in the aerator space. This particular option is simple to use and set up — it fits easily into the opening of the wine bottle, according to the brand. As wine flows through the spout of the aerator, its velocity increases and air is incorporated into it, according to Vinturi.
Type: On-bottle | Weight: 1.44 oz.
If you prefer to use a handheld wine aerator instead of an on-bottle version, this acrylic aerator from Vinturi is a good choice. To use the device, you simply hold it over a wine glass or a decanter and pour the wine through it. The aerator increases the velocity of the wine as it flows through the device and into a glass — this helps incorporate oxygen into the wine, according to the brand. The aerator has a 4.7-star average rating from more than 5,500 reviews on Amazon.
Type: Handheld | Weight: 7 oz.
This simple but powerful aerator from Ullo comes highly recommended by NBC Select associate updates editor Zoe Malin, who thinks it also makes a great gift for hosts. “It’s awesome because it’s a purifier, so it removes sulfites [in the wine],” she says. “You can also switch the aerator on or off.” To use the aerator, you place the device directly over the top of a wine glass and pour the wine through it. The wine filters through the device and while simultaneously removing the sulfites from the wine.
Type: Handheld | Weight: n/a
When shopping, it’s important to first figure out if you want a handheld option or an on-bottle aerator. I explore the key characteristics of both in more detail below.
With a handheld wine aerator, as the name implies, you’ll hold it in one hand above a wine glass or decanter, while your other hand pours the wine into the aerator. The wine then filters through the handheld aerator into the glass.
On-bottle wine aerators attach to the top of an open bottle so that you can pour the wine directly out of the bottle and through the aerator with just one hand. Some require you to remove the cork before pouring, others such as the Coravin aerator, pierces the cork so that wine pours directly through. The benefit of this type of on-bottle aerator is that by not removing the cork, you can preserve the quality of the wine for longer, according to experts.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I am an editor at NBC Select who covers food, kitchen, cleaning and lifestyle content. I spoke with wine experts, including winemakers and sommeliers, for guidance and recommendations on buying wine aerators.
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