When the weather is nice, it provides a great opportunity for outdoor entertaining. For me, there is nothing more relaxing than sitting on my patio, enjoying a delicious glass of wine.

But before we do that, we need to get the wine out of the bottle. Unfortunately, not all wine bottles come with easy twist-off tops. Some do come with screw caps, and the reason for that is a subject for another blog.

Obviously, most wine bottles have corks. For many years, the choice of corkscrews was limited. Today, we are quite lucky to have many, many choices.

One of my personal favorites is the Waiter’s Corkscrew, which almost looks like a Swiss Army Knife. The Waiter’s Corkscrew has a device for leverage and a knife for cutting the foil. It takes a little skill to use it, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll appreciate its simple, traditional appeal. You just screw in the cork and then place the lever arm on the edge of the bottle, using the base of the corkscrew as a lever to pull the cork.

The Twin- lever corkscrew is somewhat clumsy in size but very simple to use. You just place the corkscew over the wine bottle and turn the handle attached to the screw to get the worm into the cork. Then, you turn the second handle attached to the cylinder. If you are lucky, the cork should glide right out of the bottle. This device can be either excellent or awful, depending on the manufacturer. It comes in either wood or metal.

The Vinturi Aerator is a great invention. I tested this out one night with a couple of friends and a bottle of red. We compared the wine before and after, and everyone noticed a difference.

I personally think it’s a great way to speed up the aeration process (if you are in a hurry).

Using this device really makes a contrast in the taste because the wine is allowed to breathe and release aromas, which gives it an enhanced flavor and a smoother finish. It is very simple to use and does not take up much time. The easiest way to use it involves holding the Vinturi over the glass and pouring the wine through, allowing your wine to breathe instantly. Be sure not to block the air holes.

Vinturi makes plenty of different aerators for use on red or white wine, or your favorite spirit.

I love my Vacu Vin set. It slows down the oxidation process, and it is great if you don’t feel like finishing the whole bottle, which does not happen too often at my house.

It extracts the air from the opened bottle and re-seals it with a reusable stopper. Simply place the reusable stopper in the bottle and extract the air with the pump. Don’t forget to put it in the wine fridge to preserve the wine even longer.

There are lots of great wine accessories available to make your wine experience more enjoyable. You can find everything from openers, stoppers and foil cutters to spouts and drip rings.

Enjoy!

Simone

Did I miss one of your must-have wine accessories? Share with me in the comments below!