Decorative and Functional Wine Accessories
Wine preparation and tasting is an intricate and highly evolved practice. It involves understanding the chemical makeup of the wine, its temperature, its aeration, and how all of this relates to the flavor. It also involves a tradition of elegance, in which tasting a new wine is more than a drink, it is an event in which everyone and everything around you participates.
For the sophisticated wine connoisseur there are a number of accessories which are available, that can help to enhance the experience of tasting. Both functional and decorative, they serve the dual purpose of enhancing the wine itself, as well as the environment in which you enjoy it.
Wine Racks
Wine racks store wine bottles in an attractive and organized manner that makes it easy for you to find a specific bottle. There are a wide variety of styles available, although most of them are made from either a type of hardwood, or a metal such as steal or wrought iron. They can be as large as a free standing shelf, or small enough to fit under a cabinet. Many wine racks are also built to hang suspended in a kitchen, where space may be limited.
Wine Refrigerator
If you are a frequent drinker of wine that needs to be chilled, you can’t beat the convenience of a separate chiller. They allow you to keep a large number of bottles, ready to go, without having to clutter up your main refrigerator. Another benefit is that many wine refrigerators will allow you to set your own custom temperature, letting you get your bottles exactly as cold as you like.
Wine Thermometer
But how do you know your wine really is at the perfect temperature? Use a thermometer. While any stick thermometer will do the trick somewhat, shoving a glass tube into a new bottle of wine, or a guest’s glass, can ruin some of the mystique of the experience. Alternatively, there are a number of “at a distance” thermometers which can register the temp of a glass from a few inches away.
Wine Coasters
A chilled glass will collect condensation on its surface, and drip onto the table below, ruining the wood. A chilled wine bottle will do the same. That is why unless you want to do your wine tasting in a big puddle, it is necessary to use a variety of coasters to protect your possessions. Drink coasters are generally about 3-4 inches in diameter and are flat. Wine bottle coasters are larger, and are sized to fit around the bottom of a bottle.
Drop Stop
Another device designed to protect against spills, the drop stop is a thin cylinder that fits into the mouth of a bottle. It is designed to funnel the wine directly through the spout and into a glass, without and spillage. More advanced models will actually collect wine that does drip, and conduct it through a tube back into the bottle itself.
Void Pumps
You can’t always finish a bottle in one sitting. For situations like that, there is nothing as good as a void pump for keeping your bottle almost as fresh as the first time you opened it. They create a vacuum seal around the mouth of the bottle, essentially stopping any air from getting into or out of the wine. While not completely impervious, wine which is protected in such a way will last a lot longer than if you just stick the cork back in.
Bar and Bar Stools
The bar is the quintessential wine drinker’s accessory. It is the location of the experience, the environment where the tasting will take place.
The “bar” itself doesn’t have to be anything complex. It can be as simple as a bistro table, or a side counter, with a couple of barstools set up nearby. The important thing is that it is comfortable, functional, and attractive, to ensure that your wine tasting experience is the best it can possibly be.
Wine tasting is a complex process that involves a variety of intricate factors used to prepare, and then enjoy the full flavor of the beverage. The above accessories serve both to enhance the experience, and to give you the tools necessary to fully enhance the wine itself.
