Wine Accessories and do I really need a decanter???

     Before tasting any wine, you must first open the bottle!  Makes sense right?  But then what?  Should I just pour it into the glass and drink it, should I aerate it? If so, what type of aerator would be best? 

     Ughhh!!! No wonder I was so intimidated by wine!  I'm sure I am not alone here...right?  Well no more!  I am here to help with all that!

     Here are a few of my suggestions for necessary accessories:

1. Chiller
2. Corkscrew
3. Decanter/Aerator

     You're probably wondering, is that it?  Yes!  You chill the wine, open the wine, drink the wine....  Tada!  Simple.  Don't overthink it, it will hurt your brain.  Wine should be relaxing not frustrating.


Chiller
     A simple bucket will suffice, don't have one, use a large pot, it works great in a pinch.  You could even use a small cooler.  Just make sure that whatever you use it will be large enough to hold a bottle of wine, ice cubes and water. 

     There are a bazillion different type of chillers out there from simple wine buckets to fancy electric chillers.

 

Corkscrew
     There are so many corkscrews to choose from, I have several and always carry one in my purse.  You never know when an emergency corkscrew will be needed.  Trust me, there has been a couple of events where it came in handy.  Once at a wedding and another a meet and greet. 

     Most of all, choose one that works well and is comfortable for you, not because it's fashionable, cute or the next in thing.  There is nothing worse then having cork floating around in your wine because it was shredded during its removal.  Very embarrassing...

Waiters Corkscrew - Small and portable

Winged Corkscrew - Excellent for home use.

 

Pronged Corkscrew - Great for avoiding holes in the cork, hard to use.

 

Electric Corkscrew - I have not mastered this yet

Table Corkscrew -  Elegant addition to any bar

 


Houdini Corkscrew - My Favorite

 

     My favorite is the Houdini, I find it very easy and simple to use.  The Winged Corkscrew is my back up and the Waiters Corkscrew is what I carry around in my purse.  Eventually I would like to get a Table Corkscrew, I just don't have any space for it right now.


Decanter
     Decant or not to decant, that is the question!  Certainly every wine drinker should have a decanter whether they use it or not.  I tend to use my decanter quite a bit, my husband says if the wine is good, there's no need to decant.  So as you can see, we disagree on this one.  I tend to decant wines that are young.  It helps to blow off the harsh alcohol and tannins that may be prominent because the wine has not had time to age.  Although you can do the same by pouring it into a glass and swirling, I like the way wine looks in a decanter. 

     Choose one that isn't heavy and makes pouring easy.  Decanters do not come with a stopper, so never store wine in the decanter.  I never have left over wine, so that isn't a problem for me.



My choice of Decanter

     My theory is if you try a wine straight out of the bottle and it is a bit harsh tasting, lots of tannins and a sting on your tongue, Decant.  Use an aerator as you do so, this will help to open up the flavors and aroma of the wine even further.