What Does a Wine Aerator Do?

Nowadays, the experience of drinking wine requires a lot of thinking and preparation. One of the many ways to make your experience better is with the help of a wine aerator. This tool is most commonly used by sommeliers and wine experts in restaurants or bars. Learn more about it here.

What is a Wine Aerator

Nowadays, a lot of fancy gadgets have been emerging. One of them is a fancy tool called Wine Aerator. As the name states, this tool is used to help aerate the wine and bring out its incredible aroma and flavor. But what does it exactly do?

This fancy gadget helps the wine quickly come in contact with 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen to enhance its characteristics and make it more pleasing to smell and taste. You might be wondering, isn’t oxygen terrible for wine? Yes, it is if we’re talking about a stored wine. If you’re serving wine, it’s best to use a wine aerator.

The magic all starts once the wine is poured into an aerator. There are many wine aerators with different designs, shapes, and sizes for you to choose from.

Getting one will prove to you how worth it is because you’ll see the science of it all for yourself. When the wine comes in contact with the air inside the tool, all the bitterness inside will evaporate into thin air, making the wine better than before.

If you want to know how this specific gadget works, there is a thing inside the tool called an aeration chamber where everything happens. In a technical sense, when the wine is poured here, the wine swirls and swirls as it comes in contact with air to release substances such as tannins and sulfites.

Once done, a cheap bottle of wine can turn into an expensive tasting wine that can rival any high-quality wine.

Pros and Cons of Using a Wine Aerator

Now that you know what a wine aerator’s function is, it’s time to consider its pros and cons. Generally speaking, a wine aerator is created to enhance the wine drinking experience, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with at least one con. If you want to know more, continue reading this section below.

PROS

Evaporates bitter compounds

One of the best benefits that you can get from using a wine aerator is its ability to enhance the wine’s flavor and aroma. It evaporates all the bitter compounds in wine, such as ethanol and sulfites.

Once it’s done, all that will be left in your precious wine is a rich aroma and flavor that will fill up your senses without the stinging scent of the former components.

Option to save money

Another benefit that most people would be thankful for is its use to save more money than usual. Initially, you may think that a $10 wine bottle is no comparison to a $30 wine bottle or even a $20 wine bottle.

However, with a wine aerator by your side, you can use this tool to enhance the flavor of a $10 bottle of wine and bring out its unique characteristics that could be better than a $20 or $30 bottle of wine.

CONS

Over-aeration

It is to be said that no tool or process is perfect, so there is a downside to using a wine aerator. The most profound con that there is when it comes to wine aerators is that they can quickly over aerate a bottle of wine.

A glass of wine will soon lose its distinct aroma when it becomes over-aerated. Some unique flavors might be pushed behind the drink’s more aromatic fruits and flavors.

How to Properly Use a Wine Aerator

Since we’ve already talked about the functions of a wine aerator and the pros and cons that come with it, let us tell you how to properly use a wine aerator. Suppose you haven’t seen a wine aerator before.

In that case, it’s usually a small tool you can quickly bring to restaurants or intimate dinner nights at your friend’s house. Most designs are attached to the bottle once the cork is removed, but there can be some other designs with stands that you would need to hold, so take note of their design.

For the attached designs or what we call wine pourer aerators or bottle stopper designs, the process is as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Make sure to properly insert the tool into the wine bottle.
2. Pour the wine into your glass directly and watch as your drink swirls inside the aerator before going into your glass.
3. Take a few sips and enjoy your newly enhanced wine.

On the other hand, wine aerators that need to be handheld should be done quickly, too. Just position the aerator directly on top of your wine glass. Once it’s placed, slowly pour the wine into the aerator and ensure it doesn’t overflow. Watch as the wine goes through the aerator; once it’s all passed, all that’s left is to enjoy your drink.

Now that we’ve covered it all, a few tips can help you with the process. First up, make sure that your wine is not too cold or not too hot. You can use red wine from 10°C to 16°C and white wine from 4°C to 10°C. Double-check that your wine is not spoiled and that all of your wine glasses to be used are clean.

What to Look for in a Wine Aerator

At this point, you should already be aware of what a wine aerator is and all its functions. You would also know how to use it properly, but do you know what you need to look for if you want to buy one? No need to falter; this section will help cover that for you. Read this next part for more information on what to look for in a wine aerator.

Design

The first thing you should consider when looking for the best wine aerator is its design. There are many different wine aerator designs to choose from nowadays.

If you want a wine aerator that works as a decanter, too, you can pick out a dual-chambered wine aerator. On the other hand, if you want an effortless wine drinking experience, you can choose the pourer spout design.

There is also a specific stand design in which you can simply put wine, and it will work its magic before pouring yourself a glass. Obviously, you can have as many options as you like, but choose one that fits your style.

Price

Next, consider the price of the wine aerator you plan to buy. With your many options, do not settle for something not so good quality just because it’s cheap. Consider all the features you need before deciding on a small list of options. Deliberate the balance of features, design, and price before picking a wine aerator that suits you best.

Frequently Asked Questions

Since we’re about to reach the end of this article, we will now cover some of the most frequently asked questions regarding wine aerators and the process of aeration. Check it out below and see the answers.

Can I possibly aerate a wine without an aerator?

The answer is yes, and believe me, you’ve already done it before. When drinking wine, it’s a must to swirl it around your glass to bring out its aroma and flavors.

This process is already a great example of aeration. The other way to do so without a wine aerator is using a decanter. For more information, you may also check out the video below.

What is the difference between a wine aerator and a decanter?

To put it simply, Decanters are used to separate any solid substance from the drink. On the other hand, a Wine Aerator mixes the right amount of oxygen with the wine to enrich its aroma and bring out its beautiful flavors.

Do all wine types need to be aerated?

To say the least, each type of wine has its own characteristics, so you must take caution before using a wine aerator with them.

For white wines, using a wine aerator can be a great move since they have more sulfites than other types of wine. On the other hand, red wine with high levels of tannins is better aerated to bring out the best in them.

If you’re planning to aerate sparkling wines, taking caution first is essential. They could be aerated if they have high sulfite levels but be cautious of the wine aerator’s design. Lastly, aged wines can also be aerated but be careful since they are easy to over aerate because of their rich aroma.

Can a wine aerator help fix bad wines?

Sadly, a sour wine cannot be fixed by any tool, let alone a wine aerator. This tool can bring out the best of cheap good wines or make good wine taste better than expected. It can also help clear out foul smells from wines.

Summary

This is the end of our article; we hope you were able to learn a lot and know the answer to the question ‘What does a wine aerator do?’. Do not forget to share this article with your friends who are big fans or beginners when it comes to wines.