I'm a bit wine obsessed. Note that I didn't call myself a wine snob, a wine expert or a wine aficionado - I'm not snobby about what I drink (and like a lot of the cheap stuff!), I don't think anyone can be an expert at something so dynamic and complicated, and I'm not an aficionado because I haven't been in the business long enough! However, I'm pretty dedicated to the stuff and I even write about it for my blog, GrapeSmart.
The other advantage to not being a snob, an expert or an aficionado is that I think most wine gadgets are silly, fiddly and fussy. That means the ones I've listed here are really some of the top-notch things every wine lover can appreciate and should probably consider keeping in their kitchen.
The first, if not most obvious, thing is a good set of wine glasses. Wine glasses don't have to be great, they don't have to be hand-blown on a small commune in southwest Tuscany. But drinking wine from a good wine glass really will help you appreciate the smell and the taste of whatever is in your glass. For my money, the best in the business is Riedel (rhymes with needle). I love the Riedel Burgundy Wine Glasses. They produce a wide range, from inexpensive to ultra-luxe. This family-owned business knows wine and how to get the most from it - even at a lower price point.
The next thing I recommend looks a little fancy, but is a dream at adding the extra oxygen that most wines need to be truly delicious. Too much oxygen is bad and it's why a bottle of wine left overnight will "spoil," but just the right amount of exposure (called breathing) makes all the difference right after you pop the cork. The Wine Soiree is pretty, impactful and a great wine aerator, too!
And finally, I cannot recommend more highly that everyone stock their beverage area with a wine preserver. These are simple devices that can preserve the life of your wine for days after opening. While the average bottle of wine is consumed within 45 minutes when four people set their hearts on drinking, I usually have plenty left over when I pour myself a glass with dinner or when it's just me and a friend. Using a wine preservation system takes less than a minute to use, and ensures that when I - or my friend and I - go back to finish a bottle, it will actually be worth diving into - not ruined by the oxygen exposure that happens when you just shove the cork back into the bottle. Better yet? The tools are cheap! (Often anywhere from $5 - $20).
Salut!
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