What’s the next best thing about wine (after drinking it, of course)? Our list of the coolest and quirkiest wine accessories! Whip out your favourite bottle and take a gander at these tools that will revolutionise your drinking game.
Rapid chiller
An instant wine chiller is a must-have for gatherings where friends bring their own wine. This gadget comes with a built-in cooling element – similar to those found in your fridge. This will chill your wine to perfect sipping temperature within a mere five minutes, and will keep the bottle cool for hours (should it last that long). Use the thermometer to check when it’s reached the perfect drinking temperature.
Vacu Vin Rapid Ice Wine Cooler from takealot.com
Preserver
A slightly more sophisticated gadget, for the truly discerning wine-drinker, is a wine preserver. This handy product will ensure your chosen bottle of wine remain fresh and full of flavour, long after being opened. The Metrokane V-Gauge Wine Preserver features a pressure gauge, which indicates whether you have pumped enough to preserve your wine optimally.
Metrokane V-Gauge Wine Preserver from home.co.za
Stopper
We all know a good bottle of wine becomes better when exposed to oxygen, but when left out to air for too long, the opposite can occur. If wine is exposed to air-born bacteria for an extensive period of time, your long-awaited bottle of vino might end up tasting a bit tangy. Prevent this potentially devastating situation by storing a new bottle on its side. The cork needs to be kept wet to protect the wine from oxidation. If you don’t finish a bottle, be sure to seal it with a wine stopper. Once this is done, the bottle needs to be stored upright – this decreases the surface area exposed to the oxygen still in the bottle.
Sinatra Wine Stopper Set from home.co.za
Journal
Document those truly memorable wine-tasting experiences with the Moleskine Passions journal. Divided into six sections, all based on a specific theme, this iconic range of little black books will allow you to record your best wine moments, from opening that treasured bottle of Albariño to your first scrumptious sip of Zinfandel! It also comes with 202 wine-related self-adhesive stickers.
From Exclusive Books
Aerator
After a particularly long day, one often forsakes the rituals and practices that come with proper wine drinking. The cork is haphazardly popped and you gratefully sip your wine… immediately. Unfortunately, not giving wine enough time to breathe can reduce the potential magic of your tasting experience. Young, dry reds tend to be harsh on the palate due to the large number of tannins. Pouring your fave bottle into a decanter for a few hours allows it to oxidise, releasing the aroma and giving it a luxurious mouthfeel. This handy tool forces oxygen into the wine using the pressure in a chamber. Treat yourself to one to maximise those prized bottles of citrusy whites and velvety reds.
Metrokane Wine Aerator from home.co.za
Thermometer
If you really want to get the most out of your glass, consider investing in a wine thermometer. Sometimes it isn’t enough to know that white wine is served cold and red, cool. With one of these handy gadgets, you know that you are enjoying your wine to its fullest, at the perfect temperature. Sparkling wine should be ice-cold – between 4 and 10ºC. Your whites and rosés should be chilled at 10–15ºC. Red vintages should be cool, between 15 and 21ºC.
Wine Thermometer Set from home.co.za
