Wine Aerator

[Grasshopper]

I saw a wine aerator from Brandani very similar to the Vinturi one below at Marshall's the other day for $18. I was totally unfamiliar with these and thought that $18 was a bit pricey especially since I had no idea if they work. So I went home and researched these on the web and found that they generally sell for $30-$40 and the reviews rave about them. I went back and got it and gave it a try on some inexpensive Mark West Pinot. Count me among the believers, this smoothed out the wine nicely and added a couple of bucks to the value of this pinot.

I suppose I could just wait for the wine to breathe and open up but generally by the time a bottle has been open long enough to breathe it is already consumed.

I am expecting that this will work well on my homemade wine plus give a final degassing to get rid of any residual CO2 if I don't get rid of it all the proper way. Has anyone used one of these for their wines? It is intended for red wine but Vinturi sell one for whites as well. I was thinking of just covering two of the three air ports on mine while using with whites to cut back on the aeration. Any thoughts on this?

The aerator comes with a "sediment filter" shown below that looks like it will take out bits of cork, flies, etc. but seems to me to be too course to catch much sediment. Again, any experience with this?

 

[Tom]

Another convert.
I use one as well

 

[ffemt128]

I bought one to ry out as well, mine is like the funnel you sit on top of the glass. They do work.

 

[BobF]

Doug - with that kind of enthusiastic review I have to try one!

 

[Boatboy24]

I have a Vinturi. Don't use it on all my wine, but it definitely helps when I do. I've never used it with the filter in place though.

 

[robie]

I always use such an aerator for all my commercial reds.

The true pro wine tasters, which I certainly am NOT, say these devices can take the length out of the taste of a quality wine. Of course I wouldn't ever detect that.

What I do is pour the first glass through it, then leave the bottle open to aerate on its own. For the remainder of the bottle, by the time I want that second glass, I don't have to use the aerator.

Most red kit wines benefit greatly from some aeration. These devices work well, but what many recommend is to pour the wine into a decanter and let it set for 1 to 2 hours before serving. One can slosh the wine around a little to get the CO2 gas to come out. For kit reds, this tend to work better than a pour-through aerator.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

Two others are the Rabbit and the Soiree. I have both the Soiree is glass and have broken one already but like it a bit better than the Rabbit and its cheaper. The Rabbit is plastic and pours faster.
Rabbit left, Soiree right.

 

[Rocky]

I am a believer in the aerator, too. My Bride bought me a really nice decanter from George and I usually pour a bottle through the aerator into the decanter. It really smoothes things out. By the way, $18 is a great price.

 

[Grasshopper]

These devices work well, but what many recommend is to pour the wine into a decanter and let it set for 1 to 2 hours before serving. One can slosh the wine around a little to get the CO2 gas to come out. For kit reds, this tend to work better than a pour-through aerator.

After waiting 6-12 months for the wine to age, I don't think I could stand to wait an additional 1 - 2hrs with the wine open before I drink it.

 

[robie]

After waiting 6-12 months for the wine to age, I don't think I could stand to wait an additional 1 - 2hrs with the wine open before I drink it.

Ah-h-h now!
Patience, patience, patience.
I have had some bottles waiting well over two years! If I can do it, anybody can.

Really, it does help open up a wine. Another way to open up a wine, and you really won't like this one, was suggested by Ibglowin. Open a bottle, pour out one glass through the aerator (and drink that glass of course). Put the cork back in and let the partial bottle of wine set until the next day. When you reopen it, it should be opened up really well. Really does work!

 

[Alexbill646]

I think Wine Aerator is a hot topic and i will be happy if i got some knowledge from you guys.
I want to know Does aeration have negative effects on wines? I saw this question on an article when i was looking for one Wine Aerator.
Acc. to it, Overexposure to air has a three-fold effect on wines. When air is dissolved into the wine, the oxidation process starts.

So do you guys prefer Aerator or not ?

 

[CDrew]

So do you guys prefer Aerator or not ?

There is no one universal answer.

Sometimes it makes a big difference. Others not so much. I have found with young wines, that it adds another year of age/taste to the wine. I've been drinking a bit of my 2018 vintage, and I feel the Primitivo is much better after aeration. The syrah too. Petite sirah not so much.

But for other wines, there is little to no definitive change.

For the record, I like this style-decant into the decanter, then flip upside down and back in the bottle. 2 minutes and complete.

https://www.amazon.com/SJ-breather-...&sprefix=wine+decanter+ae,sporting,301&sr=8-9

 

[Jay A]

I got one of these recently, I do see an improvement in my young wines when aerated.

 

[NorCal]

I find them beneficial in young and or tannic wines. It makes Petite Sirahs much more approachable to me. On anything with age or delicacy like a Pinot, I don't find that it improves the wine.

Ken

 

[Arne]

Wow, you dug this thread out from ancient history. Kinda nice seeing some of the folks names from days gone by. Arne.

 

[winemaker81]

I was given an aerator like this 5 or 6 years ago, and it worked great. However, it's plastic and did not handle dropping very well. still works, but it has chips in the plastic.




I purchased a new one (that resembles the following) -- my son was taking a transport class at the time and he explained in great detail (he exceeded my science background) that the newer one aerates much better than the old one.



Tasted side-by-side, I notice the newer one does aerate better, or at least it produces a more pleasing result.

 

[JustJoe]

I use one on all of my wine which is made from fruit, not kits. I have a severe patience problem so I tend to drink it early. My first bottle from my first batch was opened eight days after bottling but I have enough reserve now that it gets about a year before opening. With one year of bulk aging and one year in the bottle, the aerator still makes a substantial difference.