A wine aerator is used for wine to expose oxygen for a little extended time. Aerator softens its tannins and helps in reaching the utmost potential of the wine. In simple terms, an aerator is meant to enhance the taste of wine.
A wine aerator helps in enhancing the aroma of the wine, making it a more delightful taste. An aerator is different from a decanter as the aerator is much faster in oxygenation of the wine compared to a decanter.
For those who are new to this topic, wine is a subject of experience for professionals and not just a common beverage to enjoy with.
Many people have a hobby of wine tasting, which is mainly because of the treatment or process to get a perfect aromatic wine. You might have seen people keeping the wine for a while on the table or swirling it before consuming it.
This is the process when the wine is exposed or mixed with the oxygen around it and brings the best flavor and taste out of it. That is why generally, wine is supposedly consumed through specially designed wine glasses.
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How To Use A Wine Aerator?
As far as the use of a wine aerator is concerned, the aerator is meant to increase the surface area of wine in order to expose more oxygen and also help in evaporation, so technically use of an aerator is used as per the type of aerator you are using.
Besides this, swirling the glass is also a form of aerator without using a special device. Swirling, mix the wine thoroughly, in and out, up and down so that the entire proportion of wine comes in contact with the oxygen around.
One way to aerate wine without a special device is to wash the glass with water. Washing is not only about cleaning and hygiene but is also about moisturizing.
More moisture available in the glass is the proportion of oxygen, and highly oxygenating means a more aromatic experience with wine.
Now talking about special devices used as wine aerators, there are 2 kinds of aerators which could be either hold in your hands and other is placed on top of your wine bottle.
Using a Handheld type of wine aerator will be used by holding the device hand or can be fixed in the mouth of the bottle.
Holding it in hands might be a little exhausting as in order to keep it in the air, the dripping of wine would be much slower compared to the hands of a human.
Types Of Wine Aerator (Handheld Or Bottle Stopper)
There are two types of wine aerators, handheld and bottle stopper or wine pourer aerator.
Both types of aerators work in the same way; in other words, both serve the same purpose. The main difference between them is in operating.
As the name suggests, the first type of aerator, handheld, is used by holding a small device in hand while serving the wine into the glass.
A handheld aerator is a kind of small knob that can be handled in two ways. You can fix the knob on the mouth of the bottle, which is more hygienic and in case you feel august.
More to it, the knob can be held in another hand, and then the wine can be poured into the glass through the knob.
Guide On: How To Recork Wine
The other type of aerator is the bottle stopper aerator, in which a device is fitted on the mouth of the bottle in which the wine is poured out through the aerator.
This kind of aerator is a type of speed pourer in a liquor bottle, and the only difference is the wine aerator resists or slows down the flow of wine.
The use of a type of aerator depends on the type of hospitality needed and the place of use. For household use, a handheld bottle aerator is preferred, whereas, in bars, hotels, and restaurants, a bottle stopper aerator is preferred.
Benefits Of Aerating Wine
The biggest benefit of aerating wine is the only thing that is must to get the best aroma and taste and makes the best out of it. Oxidation means the aging of wine. The more aged wine is, the better it tastes.
Aging softens and makes wine smooth. Aerating is meant to process only the wine that is supposed to be poured into the glass, which is right about to be drunk, and not decanting it and pouring the entire bottle out.
If you empty the entire wine bottle into another container but cannot finish that, then the remaining wine won’t be good enough to drink the next day.
So one of the best advantages or benefits of an aerator is that it oxidizes only the wine which is supposed to be poured into the glass as a drink.
There, it’s just about relaxing and enjoying the best taste of the wine you could experience. Let us understand it quickly by five simple points.
Take A Chill Pill
The best thing about wine is to enjoy it. For professionals, wine tasting is skill and refreshment more than chilling with a bunch of folks. The first step is about relaxing before you hold/grab a glass of wine in your hands.
Experiencing/tasting wine with a busy or chaotic mind is not a good idea as your palate cannot sense/experience the best taste of it.
Change For Good
You know people mostly stick to one particular dish or brand as far as satisfaction is concerned. You always would be preferring one brand of wine which might get your senses to feel the repetition a little okay, and you might not experience the real nirvana of different tastes of wine. Change the brand for good.
Cleanse
Comparing it with a sports ground, playing a number of games on the same ground without any watering or markings can dull the look and performance of a team. Similarly, tasting different wines back to back without cleansing your palate might not let you enjoy your wine tasting.
Some wines are good with appetizers, some with the main course, while some wines are good with dessert. For every wine, to get the best taste out of it, you must cleanse your palate with a bite of lemon wedge or with a swing of spritzer.
Keep Trying
To make your palate enjoy the best wine, you really need to have an idea about different types of wine as there won’t be anything to compare with. Keep practicing tasting wines and get to a conclusion once you have tasted a number of wines.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the benefits of a wine aerator?
A wine aerator is a special device used to expose the wine to air (oxygen) to get the utmost taste, aroma, and flavor, which usually won’t be possible without using of the aerator.
2. Does aerating wine actually do anything?
Yes, that is what the aerator is designed for, in order to get the maximum taste out of it. It is proven that the wine exposed to oxygen helps in getting a better taste and aroma and that is why the aerator was invented.
3. When should you use a wine aerator?
Parties and special treatment is the time when the wine is served or offered, so when you are about to make an impression, you should be using a wine aerator. The best practice to use an aerator is when you are pouring the wine into a glass. As the types are discussed above, you can choose the best as per your convenience and practice.
4. Does an aerator make wine taste better?
Of course, an aerator is responsible for keeping the wine in touch with oxygen for a considerable time and is responsible for making wine taste better.
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