Best Wine Aerator – Review Of Top 3 Products

You’ve probably heard people saying, “let the wine breathe”, and no, it’s not just some pretentious thing they say, it actually makes a difference.

Opening up a wine and exposing it to air is known as aeration and it is enhanced by swirling the wine around a bit.

The whole point of aerating a wine is to oxidize it for a better flavor profile. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic wines include a lot of different chemical compounds where some are volatile, like Ethanol (which also has a strong smell) and some are more stable.

When you aerate a wine, the more volatile compounds usually evaporate, leaving behind the more flavorful and aromatic ones, making for a more enjoyable experience.

What wine aerators do is make the process much faster and efficient by maximizing your wine’s contact with air. Some aerators are attached to the bottle’s mouth while others are placed over your glass as you pour the wine.

Are you unsure of which wine aerator to choose?

The market is flooded with different models all boasting different features which make it hard for us consumers to know which way to turn. This review of the most popular wine aerators can provide a great cheat sheet to help make your decision easier.

Below are complete reviews and mini discussions on 3 of the best wine aerators on the market today.

Why Not Use Just A Traditional Decanter?

Allowing our wine to breathe has been an important task for generations. This can be achieved in many ways. The more traditional method was to transfer the wine to a decanter where it would sit and breathe for half an hour before being served. In this instance, the wine is exposed to vast air particles and really opens up. Wine aerators seem to have shoved this method into the past.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and wine aerators aim to overcome the drawbacks of using a decanter. One disadvantage of using the traditional method is that it takes a long time to allow the wine to fully breathe and is somewhat inconvenient during dinner parties. The second disadvantage is that you may waste wine by not finishing the bottle that was poured into the decanter.

Wine aerators do progress our ability to let wine breathe in more convenient ways the decanted did not. Their benefits over decanters include:

• You can aerate your wine by glass rather than aerating the full bottle – no waste!
• They are efficient and aerate instantly
• They are much easier to transport meaning that you can take them wherever you may go
• They are simple to transport
• They offer better value in most instances

Most Popular Types of Wine Aerators

As already mentioned, there is a vast number of aerators on the market and picking which one is right for you and your needs can be a confusing task. We have rounded up 3 of the most popular aerators and given a detailed overviews of their disadvantages and advantages.

Aerator Pourer

This aerator is exceptionally practical. To aerate your wine, all you have to do is attach the product to the bottle and the wine breathes as it is poured. This aerator does an effective job of allowing your wine to breathe but also does not create any mess. A specific model of this type is the highly celebrated Vintorio Aerator. We even rank this product as the best on the market to date.

Relatively new to the market, the Vintorio has collected a strong customer base. Blind testing does not even leave any doubt to which wine received this product’s services. If you want to share this product’s quality and efficiency as a gift, then you are in luck because it also comes in stylish packaging with a bonus bottle stopper.

Features

The product makes use technology allowing a double intake of oxygen so your wine receives a thorough breathing. Another impressive feature is a detachable splash guard to avoid spillages. Performance meets convenience as this product is also dishwasher friendly, making cleaning it effortless.

What’s great?

The most attractive aspect of the Vintorio is that it does exactly what it intends to do. In vast amounts of testing, the Vintario was much more effective at aiding the wine’s aroma and flavour in comparison to competing products.

The second positive note about this product is that is a perfect gift idea. The buckle box packaging is elegant and an attractive finishing touch. It also comes complete with a satisfaction guarantee to bring peace of mind and ensure customers of their exceptional product.

Finally, it is also compact and robust enough to be transported on your weekends away or daily picnic trips.

What could be better?

Even the best products have room for improvement. This product could be rounded off nicely if it came with a stand. After using it you have to either rinse immediately or risk staining surfaces with leftover drops of wine. We recognise that adding a stand may also taint the aesthetic and convenient packaging and thus, recognise the manufacturers may have opted for the better deal in a trade off.

Advantages

• Creates very little mess, if any
• This product is compact and lightweight, making it perfect for transporting on trips

Disadvantages

• Pay attention that you do not accidently buy a pourer aerator as accompanying products may be misleading
• Some models are not as robust and can break easily under minimal stress

Traditional Aerators

Vinturi set the standard for this type of traditional aerator and paved the way for a host of other companies to try and emulate their product. Despite the wide selection to choose from, Vinturi’s remains the best.

Wine is poured into this device which will oxygenate your wine before hitting the bottom of your glass. With this product you are secure in the knowledge that it has been manufactured by a renowned and well-respected company. It has the additional plus of an accompanying travel pouch, making it ideal for easy transporting on those day trips to the country.

Features

You will always find the Vinturi design to suit your preferences because it is available in many colours and even different sizes.

The product also comes with a stand to rest the aerator on inbetween bottles; this avoids having to clean it straight after use or worse, risk getting some wine drps on your surfaces.

We mentioned that this product has been attempted to be copied by a few other companies. Yet, Vinturi do have a patent on it, meaning similar products will not work quite as well.

What’s great?

The product gets the job done efficiently. Vinturi are without a doubt a big player in this field. They have managed to perfect their product over the years which tells in its performance.

It has been manufactured to be durable enough to cope with stress and pressure. This is one of the robust features that allow it to be a suitable travel companion.

What could be better?

Some customers have also complained that the quality of this model can be very inconsistent. While some people are extremely happy, others have mentioned that the aerator doesn’t quite perform as well as they had expected.

There also appears to be some mixed reviews regarding the product’s quality. Although, this could of course be a result of our own expectations and subjectivity.

Advantages

• They have been manufactured with using an oval design, and sturdy materials to ensure robustness and reliability
• This may be the most eye-catching of the aerators reviewed and makes for an ideal gift for any occasion

Disadvantages

• The mess when using this product is very inconvenient. Not only is this mess a nuisance to clean, it also suggests lost wine (and money!) over many uses.
• The quality of the product has been debated in a number of personal reviews. This makes your purchase a bit of a lottery. Moreover, its ability to work with all wine types has also been questioned.

Oval Aerators

The oval aerator is the most recent addition to the market. It easily attaches to your wine bottle and the wine filters through an oval dome before reaching your glass.

The oval design is a nifty technique to increase the wine’s surface area which then allows the wine more exposure to be oxygenated. Soiree were the pioneers of this clever design and ever since, a number of other manufacturers have attempted to follow their footsteps.

This product has an unorthodox design which will undoubtedly receive a number of comments and questions. It is not always obvious to everyone what the Soiree product is upon first inspection. Nevertheless, it does have a stylish design that dinner guests are likely to think is a bit on the fancy side.

Features

The Soiree aerator is fitted with a rubber gasket with five different rings; this means it is the perfect aerator for collectors of wines with variable bottle sizes – there isn’t a bottle that this aerator wont’ be able to tackle!

For convenience this model comes complete with a drying rack and stand so you do not have to instantly rinse the product between glasses.

What’s great?

This aerator biggest plus is its appearance. It would be a perfect gift for birthdays, anniversaries or weddings. When in use, it will also draw attention which many may think is a cool perk to impress your guests.

What could be better?

The main concern with this product is its functionality. Yes, it is an attractive and unorthodox piece with some clever design features, but it is also a fragile and inconvenient product.

Many have also asserted that the product does not perform as well as its competitors. Unless you want a gimmicky product, then our other two reviewed products are well ahead of this aerator.

Advantages

• They are stylish and eye-catching models that will undoubtedly attract attention for the right reasons

Disadvantages

• The flamboyant design makes this aerator rather fragile. It is not an ideal product if you wish to travel with, as it could break easily.
• Using these aerators can be very awkward. You even have to completely tip your wine bottle 180 degrees to use them.

Main Things To Consider Before Making A Purchase

Below we have listed three questions that will help you make the correct choice when choosing a wine aerator. These questions are individual to you because purchasing the right aerator will be determined by your own individual needs. With aerators, there is no one size fits all option.

Budget

One of the purposes of a wine aerator is to make cheaper wine taste better. When you consider that these products then, can actually save you money, you may be more open to loosening the purse strings and investing in a quality aerator that will pay back in the long term.

Alternatively, you may wish to get an aerator at an affordable price. This is not unrealistic as there are many decent products selling for around $20 USD.

Personal use or gift?

Just like considering your individual needs when purchasing an aerator for yourself, you will have to think the same when purchasing one as a gift. What does the recipient use it for? How often will they use it?

These are just some of the questions you should keep in mind. Additionally, you may want to consider the aerator’s packaging. Stylish and sleek designs make for more aesthetic gifts.

Traveling

Aerators have an unfortunate habit of breaking in suitcases and bags when transported. If you intend to take your aerator on trips, then it may be more logical to buy a robust and well-manufactured product so you don’t find yourself having to buy a replacement a few weeks later.

Warranties & Guarantees

Always read the small print of your potential aerator. Lots of companies offer different types of guarantees – including satisfaction guarantees – and warranties. Weigh the different offers available so you do not find yourself without a quality aerator, or out of pocket.