It is difficult to imagine a romantic dinner, family celebration, or festive evening without a glass of wine. Today, a huge number of types and names of this drink go on sale, but many still pass down from generation to generation family recipes for making homemade wine and tricks that allow you to experience its taste and aroma. Why do they saturate wine with oxygen and how to do it, for many this will be new and useful knowledge.
Why do you need an aerator?
Saturation of wine with oxygen is called aeration; this procedure allows you to improve the taste and aroma of the drink, allowing it to fully open up. In addition, it allows you to eliminate excess tannins, makes the wine softer, and gets rid of fermentation products.
Previously, decanters were used for this. These are clear glass decanters with a long narrow neck and a wide bottom. It takes from one to several hours for the wine bouquet to fully develop in the decanter. Letting the drink settle removes tartar from the wine, a sediment that is especially characteristic of red wine. The wine is poured into a vessel and left open to allow it to “breathe.” Such devices have been used since ancient times to the present day.
An aerator is a modern device that quickly saturates wine with oxygen. Its creator, Rio Sabadicci, being a software engineer, once became interested in the aeration process and the results of this action. He created a small, portable device that speeds up the process of air interacting with wine before pouring the drink into glasses.
This happened in 2006. Advantages of the aerator:
- easy to use and maintain, it is difficult to damage;
- small and convenient;
- the process of interaction with air is much faster;
- saturates the entire volume of the drink with oxygen, and not just its top layer, as in a decanter.
The device is an elongated structure made of glass or plastic with thick walls and many transverse tubes, through which the wine acquires a characteristic aroma and a soft, rich taste. With the help of an aerator, the interaction of wine with oxygen occurs during the process of filling glasses, takes from 1 to 30 seconds and does not require a long wait.
Kinds
The industry produces mechanical and electrical varieties of aerators. Each of them has its own advantages.
Mechanical
The aerator is placed on a wine bottle, passing through many channels designed for air circulation, the wine is quickly saturated with oxygen. The device has different shapes, this does not affect the principle of operation. They are easy to use and are most often made of high-quality plastic. The cost is low, they last until they receive mechanical damage.
Electrical
A small device with a tube that is immersed in a bottle, and a top part with a button. Battery operated. When you press the button, the drink is saturated with air and it is supplied to the bottle. The devices can be additionally equipped with a dispenser; then place a glass under the dispenser tube and press the aerator button. Or, after aeration, remove the device and pour the wine into glasses. Electric aerators are more expensive than mechanical ones; they can fail, like any device; you must remember to replace the batteries on time.
Modern aerators from well-known companies with a stand for a glass look stylish and become a decoration for the festive table, identifying the owner as a connoisseur and connoisseur of good drinks. The most popular company producing devices is the American company Vinturi, and its founder, Rio Sabadicci, is the “father” of the device. The Spanish brand Vin Bouquet produces high-quality mechanical and electrical varieties.
For which wines are aerators used?
Expensive collection wines that are decades old are not put through an aerator.It can disrupt the capricious structure of the drink. The device is better suited for young red and rosé wines.
Important: do not use the device for sparkling wines, table wines and champagne. There are varieties for red and white wine, but you need to remember that white wine has less tannins, and it is drunk without an aerator or the simplest models are chosen.
How does the taste of the drink change after aeration?
After being saturated with air, the wine fully reveals its bouquet of aromas, it becomes less tart, and the taste and aroma of fermentation no longer remains in the drink. The wine becomes light and pleasant, the heavy aftertaste disappears.
Instructions for enriching wine with oxygen
The easiest way to let a wine develop is to open a bottle of wine and carefully pour it into a decanter or decanter. It should remain open. If you have an aerator, the process is significantly simplified. Cheap aerators simply fit onto the neck of the bottle and the drink is poured through it. This model is convenient to take with you on a picnic. They are easy to clean, the only negative is that they quickly break down.
An aerator from a well-known brand with a stand for glasses will become an indispensable attribute of the festive table and will definitely attract the attention of guests. The glass is placed on a special stand, and pressing a button regulates its filling. For frequent use in your own kitchen, it is better to choose an electric model without a dispenser.
Over the many millennia that have passed since the advent of wine, the rules for its consumption have not changed. New accessories for drinking wine have appeared, and the waiting time required to fully reveal all the flavor nuances of the drink has been reduced. The difference between wine immediately poured into glasses and saturated with oxygen is huge, which is why aerators have become popular with consumers.
Of course, you should focus on your own taste, but proper consumption of wine is a whole ritual that allows you to appreciate the aroma, taste and benefits of the drink.
