Wine Accessories
From LoveToKnow Wine
Computer people have to have every widget and contraption available for their souped-up Pentium powerhouses. Car aficionados mod their Mustangs with all kinds of aftermarket accessories. Why shouldn’t wine lovers get to play with cool toys too? Well guess what? They do. Wine accessories are all things that are fun to have at home, or make a great to add on to a gift.
Since everyone already has their own favorite stopper and opener, let’s move right on to the more out-of-the-box (or bottle?) wine accessories.
The Absolute Necessities
A vacuum wine saver. A small pump that comes with two rubber stoppers, it allows you to vacuum seal an open bottle of wine and keep it fresh for days longer than just pushing the cork back in would. Easy to operate and doesn’t take up much space, this wine accessory is definitely worth the money when you think of how much wine you’ll be saving from going bad.
A foil cutter. Simply put it over the neck of the bottle, rotate around, and the top of the foil comes off neatly in your hand. No more nearly cutting your finger off with the knife part of your corkscrew. (Come on, I know I’m not the only one who’s suffered numerous nicks from those things.)
Wine Away. Like it or not, everyone knows that accidents happen… ahem… especially when your crazy-but-lovable friends have been drinking. So it’s a good idea to keep a bottle of Wine Away stuff handy. It’s made from fruit and vegetable extracts, no bleach included, and is formulated to remove red wine stains. Absolutely guaranteed to remove every red wine stain? No. (At least not by me.) But it does do a pretty good job with those little blips on your shirt or carpet.
The Cutesy Wine Stuff
A drop ring, or wine collar. A metal ring with a cushioned inside that you push down on the neck of your bottle that prevents drips while pouring. It’s like a turtleneck for your wine bottle! Awwww…
Wine charms. Ok, maybe they are dangerously trendy and a true wine snob would probably turn up their nose at the frivolity of the idea. But you know what? There are some really cute ones out there and they’re great for remembering which glass is yours at a party. In short, wine charms are just plain fun. Go for it.
Fake ice. This one is my little secret. Get a stash of those fake ice cubes (mine are shamefully shaped like oranges and bananas) that soccer moms just love to throw into their kid’s lemonade, and throw them into the glass of white wine that you have impatiently only left in the refrigerator for ten minutes. Wait – don’t judge me! Think about it. It’s the perfect solution – continues to chill the wine in your glass, but doesn’t simultaneously water it down.
Wine Accessories to Show Off With
A decanter. Decanting is not always necessary, but is often a fun experiment. Whether you want to see what air exposure does to a wine in a relatively short amount of time, or you feel like being all high falutin’ for a night to impress your boss/date/client/Mother-in-Law – give it a try. There are certainly some beautiful decanters available at wine and glass specialty stores in all different shapes and sizes. (Free advice – antique decanters are beautiful and generally less expensive.) The most important thing is that the base is wide and the neck is narrow. Clean your decanter with water only, detergent could taint the flavor of the next wine you put in it.
A wine thermometer. Wine people will tell you that white wine should ideally be served at about 50-55 degrees, and red wine at chilly room temperature, 65 degrees or so. Anything more or less might not adaquately represent the subtle nuances of the wine. Several different types of wine thermometers are available to ensure that you are showing the wine off appropriately. Perhaps not a crucial wine accessory, but fun and useful nevertheless.
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