With the modern pace of life people have less time and less patience. Sometimes we forget to enjoy our food and our wine, our friends and family. In the meantime, product developers don’t waste time trying to make our lives “easier”, helping us in little things. During our wine tours we often get asked if the wine aerator really makes a difference. Well, this is what we think:

When wine is exposed to air it activates oxidation and evaporation. Wine is a complex drink made of many compounds, desirable and undesirable. We want to keep the aromatic compounds longer and get rid of undesirable ones faster. With aeration we reduce the intensity of such undesirable compounds as sulfites and ethanol. However, do we really need special equipment for that or just opening a bottle and pouring the wine into a glass is enough for this to happen?

Either you use a gadget or just give wine to stand a little before consumption; there is no much difference in the outcome apart from the waiting time. If you want it rapidly served the gadget is your way to go, if you have some time, it could prove unnecessary. However, it also depends on the wine; you wouldn’t want let some delicate wine through aerator and miss some delicate aromas. The more concentrated the wine is, the more it will benefit from breathing and the longer it can go before beginning to fade. Probably, the golden middle would be to use a decanter, it faster than let it stand, and also it removes sediment.

Nevertheless, we shouldn’t forget that it is not just about the drink itself, it is about the whole experience, and often process is as important as the outcome.