It is surprising that many people will spend a lot of money on wines, yet they will not spend any money on wine accessories.
Whenever you get into a hobby, there are some accessories you may need to enhance your enjoyment of that hobby. Here are few wine accessories that you can consider purchasing:
Stemware
People always ask if having proper wine glasses makes a difference. Similarly, you could ask if having a better tennis racket improves your tennis game. As you try more and more wines, having proper wine glasses does make a difference. What is a proper wine glass? A wine glass doesn’t have to be expensive, but for me, I like lighter wine glasses with a stem that allows me to swirl the wine easily, so I can smell the aroma of the wine. I also like glasses that are larger and longer in length, so that when I swirl my wine in the glass, it doesn’t fly out of the glass!
Decanters
A decanter is just a vessel that you can pour wine into, in order to let the wine aerate. A decanter is normally used for red wines, because in general, red wines are more aromatic and do taste better with some interaction with oxygen. You could just use a big jug as a decanter but that doesn’t look very aesthetically pleasing. That is why people buy glass or crystal decanters. For me, a simple glass decanter is great. The key with a decanter is to make sure it pours well, as you don’t want to lose a lot of wine from the wine dripping every time you pour wine from the decanter.
Wine opener
A good wine opener should be sturdy with a long screw. Generally, more expensive wines have longer corks, since more expensive wines are meant to be stored for a long period of time. Many corks break because the screw on the wine opener is not long enough. The corkscrew does not have to be expensive, but it has to do its job. Winged or butterfly wine openers are not expensive and quite easy to use.
Aroma sets
These are great for beginners and you can buy these online. A wine aroma set is just a set of vials with different aromas. It is useful to train your sense of smell for different aromas. You will get better at identifying different aromas after practicing with these sets.
Book for tasting notes
It is impossible for me to remember every wine I have tasted, so I carry around a book to jot down my impressions of a wine. In the modern age, there are many wine apps that allow you to record your notes about a wine too. I personally use Vivino. Your notes do not have to be extensive, but you should identify two to three aromas or tastes. Give it a score and then compare your score to the experts or other fellow wine enthusiasts.
Getting these wine accessories will definitely enhance your wine appreciation experience.
This article’s wine recommendation is a Portuguese white wine: Adegamae 2018 Valley Selection White. Priced at around $30, this is a blend of four grape varieties: Alvarino, Viognier, Arinto and Viosinho. Portugal, which is mainly known for producing Port, is making some very good red and white wines at attractive prices. Liberty Wine Merchants carries this wine and for more information, please see my video wine review on my YouTube channel.
Until next time, happy drinking!
