Product Review Series: Gadgets vs. Gimmicks

I love the experience of wine.  When I enter a wine store or a bar I expect to spend countless dollars and time perusing wine and whatever else there is to offer. 

There is another side to wine that also tickles my fancy.  Things that surround the experience of wine are just as delightful.  I love glasses.  One might call me a glass aficionado, that’s because I get how a great glass can make or break the wine—pun intended—and an inappropriate glass can alter the experience dramatically.

Wine Gadget
bottle thermometer

Glasses aren’t the only accoutrements to wine.  The industry has supplied more than enough gadgets, to fill a hoarder’s closet.  So I thought it would be fun to interject a mini-series every now and again where I will discuss gadgets and rate them as gadgets or gimmicks.  Because there are so many, I will speak of two or three at a time.  I welcome comments about your experience with gadgets; it is always great to exchange information.

Before we get started on our first contenders in the series, I want to talk about gadgets in a general sense.  Most wine gadgets work and serve a viable purpose.  More than if a gadget works or not, satisfaction heavily depends on whether that gadget works for you.  Again, most work and yes some are absolute gimmicks, but gadgets are like wine, very subjective.

First up in the series is a staple in my wine room.  It is an “Aerator”. 

Some wine snobs label aerators as inorganic, trendy, lazy & disruptive.... 

I wholly disagree.  Some of my favorite wines are red.  I don’t always possess the time to “de-cant” wine to allow it to breathe.  For me, ready to drink wines should be just that, ready to drink.  Nothing softens the firm structure of a Cabernet Sauvignon like an aerator.   Have a pungent Pinot Noir or peppery Shiraz?  An aerator will smooth out the last bite of the finish.  Almost as many wines, there are many brands of aerators. Some attach to the bottle itself, others are free-standing while others are attached to a stand. 

My favorite is Vinturi. 

Red Wine Aerator

It comes with a velvet travel pouch and/or a stand and it works. It cuts the breathing time of red wine from minutes to thirty-seven seconds. Because my favorite is a free-standing one, when pouring it can be cumbersome; both hands are required for use. However, I rarely sip red without one.  Some aerators attach to the wine bottle and make for an easy pour.  Wine Shop At Home, my company sells a wonderful attachable aerator that retails for under $20 dollars.  For the most part aerators work well for Reds, however I do possess a White wine aerator and it does aid in the mellowing of my Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. While white wine doesn't neccessarily need to breathe, a white wine reaps the same flavor enhancement of a red that has been aerated.

White Wine Aerator: Gadget

   

 Aerator:all gadget, no gimmick.

Rabbit brand bottle attached aerator

Our final gadget for this Winesday is a Wine Chiller. This gadget is not to be confused with a temperature controlled wine fridge/cooler. 

Remember, I stated above, sometimes what makes a gadget a gimmick is that it doesn’t fit in one’s lifestyle.  I was given a Wine Chiller as a gift.  I’ve used it several times, when I’ve forgotten to place white wine in the fridge.  It is certainly impressive and allows me to show off a bit.  My wine chiller boasts of chilling wine to a perfect temperature in twenty minutes.  That statement is true.  However my chiller requires more work than needed.  You must place the bottle in the canister, pour a tray of ice around the bottle and varied cups of water behind the ice.  You then turn the apparatus on and a tiny motor churns the ice cubed water around the bottle, without freezing the wine.  We all learned in a previous WWTpost that red wine is best consumed cool, white wine chilled opposed to ice cold.  So in that respect, it works. 

If you are fortunate enough to have one that works on a re-chargeable battery, it’s great for outdoor activities, at the beach or perhaps a camping trip.  However, the battery life usually lasts for no longer than an hour and the amount of work one has to put into the gadget for it to do the job makes this gadget unworthy.  It is for this reason, I deem this gadget: more Gimmick than gadget 60/40. Placing the white wine in the fridge about fifteen minutes prior to serving, will acheive the same result.

It is however a great gift for the aficionado who has everything, just make sure they really have everything before purchasing and check out recommendations for the brand you have in mind.  Otherwise you might want to forgo this one and instead opt for a bottle of wine.  

Do you have a gadget you’d like me to review?  Do you agree or disagree with the gadgets/gimmicks referenced in this post?  I’d love to hear from you, comment on this post or hit me up by email, Toni@winewithtoni.com. 

Until next time…..Cheers!

The above views are mine and mine alone. My opinion is in no way affiliated with any brands nor do I mean to disparage any particular product or brand.