Wine Wednesday: Wine Gadgets

Happy Wine Wednesday y’all!

Unfortunately, I won’t be participating today because I promised myself I wouldn’t drink during the week (see July Goals).

Today, I want to talk about wine tools, gadgets and accessories. Obviously, drinking wine is amazing, but to make your experience even better, you really do need the right tools!

1. Wine Opener : We use the Rabbit self pulling corkscrew. I have used several different types of corkscrews and this one (by far) has been the easiest one to work with. It takes minimal effort and the cork comes out with little to no damage.

2. Foil Cutter: I really think that everyone needs one of these. You can get it on Amazon for $9! This should be the first step in opening your bottle (if it is corked). You simply put the foil cutter around the top, squeeze it in and twist. It takes off the foil very nicely and allows you to remove the cork much more quickly.

3. Decanter: Another wine gadget that you should have on hand is a decanter. Now, we definitely do not decant all of our bottles. We have never decanted a white wine, and we typically only decant a nicer red wine. We usually end up decanting Cabernet or a Bordeaux blend. Decanting the wine really allows it to open up and breathe. I think it tastes better after this process! If you are willing to spend over $40 for a nice Cabernet, I would invest in a decanter. Trust me, it will make it THAT much better.

4. Aerator Option 1 and Option 2 : I hardly use my aerator anymore, but this is something I used a lot before I owned a decanter. It is essentially doing the same thing as decanting, except you aren’t removing all of the wine from the bottle at once. You simply need to put the aerator in the bottle before pouring. As you pour your wine, it will add in air to your wine, making it taste better. Red wine really needs to breathe, so I would recommend using one of these with a bottle of red wine. If you haven’t ever done this, I would highly suggest trying it! You will be surprised at how different the wine tastes after the aeration.

5. Red Wine Glasses: Yes. Believe it or not, there are different types of wine glasses for different varietals! I am a firm believer in using the correct glass to drink my wine (except when on an airplane – then plastic will have to do). I may sound like a snob, but using the correct glass is important! It allows your wine to open up and allows the flavors to emerge. Red wines should have a bigger glass because they are typically bigger and bolder wines! I love having different types of wine glasses to entertain with as well. If you ever have guests over, they will be impressed to find different types of glasses!

6. White Wine Glasses: You get the point (see above).

7. Wine Stoppers: It doesn’t happen often, but if for some reason we don’t finish a bottle of wine, we use one of these wine stoppers to seal it up for the following day. We probably have a million of these things lying around the house.

8. Fun Wine Pourer: I don’t have one of these, but it is on my wish list! A lot of wineries use them for tastings, and I think it is so cute. It makes it easier to pour the wine and it doesn’t drip down the side of the bottle.

9. Wine Cork Holder: If you like to hoard corks, you will need to get yourself a place to put all of them! We have this cute little cowboy boot full of corks. It doubles as storage and decor. I like to save my corks just in case I want to do a big project with them in the future.

10. Wine Wipes: Have your lips ever turned purple/red from the red wine you are drinking? Yep, me too. Luckily, someone was smart enough to make these great wine wipes! I always have a pack of these in my purse. You never know when you might need them! You don’t want to be that person that has purple lips.