Oxygenation of wine: what is the name of the process and why do we need an aerator

It's hard to imagine a romantic dinner, a family celebration, a 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 on from generation to generation family recipes for making homemade wine and tricks that allow you to feel its taste and aroma. Why wine is oxygenated and how to do it, for many it will be new and useful knowledge.

What an aerator is for

Saturation of wine with oxygen is called aeration, this procedure improves 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, eliminates 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 full disclosure of the wine bouquet in the decanter. Settling the drink rids the wine of tartar, a sediment 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 from ancient times to the present day.

Aerator is a modern device that contributes to the rapid saturation of wine with oxygen. Its creator, Rio Sabadicci, being a software engineer, once became interested in the process of aeration and the results of this action. He created a small portable device that allows you to speed up the process of interaction of air with wine before pouring the drink into glasses.

It happened in 2006. Aerator Benefits:

easy to use and maintain, hard to damage;
small and comfortable;
the process of interaction with air is much faster;
oxygenates the entire volume of the drink, 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, passing through which the wine acquires a characteristic aroma and soft rich taste. With the help of an aerator, the interaction of wine with oxygen occurs in the process of filling glasses, takes from 1 to 30 seconds and does not require a long wait.

Views

Industry produces mechanical and electrical varieties of aerators. Each of them has its own advantages.

Mechanical

The aerator is put on the wine bottle, passing through many channels designed for air circulation, the wine is quickly saturated with oxygen. The device has various shapes, this does not affect the principle of operation. They are easy to use, most often made of high-quality plastic. The cost is low, they serve until they receive mechanical damage.

Electrical

A small device with a tube that dips into a bottle and a top with a button. Battery operated. When you press the button, the drink is saturated with air, it is fed into the bottle. Devices can be additionally supplied with a dispenser, then you should substitute 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 need to remember to replace batteries on time.

Modern aerators of well-known companies with a stand for a glass look stylish and become a decoration of the festive table, giving out a connoisseur and connoisseur of good drinks in the owner. The most popular device manufacturer is the American company Vinturi, and its founder, Rio Sabadicci, is the “father” of the device. Spanish brand Vin Bouquet produces quality mechanical and electrical varieties.

This beautiful and necessary accessory will be a great gift for your boss, colleague or close relative.

Wine aerators are used for

Expensive collection wines, which are more than a dozen years old, are not driven through an aerator. It can break the capricious structure of the drink. The device is best suited for young red and rosé wines.

Important: do not use the device for sparkling, table wines and champagne. There are varieties for red and white wine, but you need to remember that white wine has less tannins and is drunk without an aerator or choose the simplest models.

How does the taste of the drink change after aeration?

After saturation with air, the wine fully reveals the bouquet of aromas, it becomes less tart, 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 open up a wine is to open a bottle of wine and carefully pour it into a carafe or decanter. It must remain open. With an aerator, the process is greatly simplified. Cheap aerators are simply put on 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 fail.

A well-known brand aerator with a glass holder will become an indispensable attribute of the festive table and will surely attract the eyes of guests.The glass is placed on a special stand, pressing the button regulates its filling. For frequent use in your own kitchen, it is better to choose an electric model without a dispenser.

For many millennia that have passed since the appearance of wine, the rules for its consumption have not changed. New accessories for wine drinking have appeared, the waiting time required for the full disclosure of all the flavor nuances of the drink has been reduced. The difference between wine immediately poured into glasses and oxygenated wine is huge, which is why aerators have become popular with consumers.

Of course, you should be guided by your own taste, but the correct consumption of wine is a whole ritual that allows you to appreciate the aroma, taste and benefits of the drink.