There’s a “process” that occurs each time we open a bottle of wine. It’s called aeration
and, simply stated, it’s when wine that has been stored in a sealed bottle meets an influx of oxygen for the first time since it was sealed.
In most cases, that’s a good thing, because “aerating” a wine helps release its unique aromas and flavors. The process is further enhanced by swirling wine in a glass, which is generally referred to as “allowing the wine to breathe.”
The only cases in which aeration may be considered harmful are when dealing with decades-old wines that tend to “age” very quickly once they are exposed to that influx of air. I’ve been to tasting events and experienced this fast-aging process first-hand. A wine that seems alive and vital one moment can quickly devolve into a beverage that is more vegetal than fruitful, more “earthy” than spicy.
But for younger wines — which I broadly define as any red that’s less than five years old, and any white that’s less than three years old — aeration will be a good thing.
Which brings us back to the question of the day: Is a Coravin needed? Specifically, is a Coravin Aerator needed?
Quoting from the company’s website, “The Coravin Aerator, used with your Coravin Wine Preservation Opener, enhances your wine experience by immediately mixing the right amount of air with the wine as you pour. This lets your glass of wine breathe without lengthy decanting, while ensuring the rest of the bottle remains perfectly preserved.”
Rather than placing the cork back in or the screw cap back on an opened bottle of wine, which already has lots of oxygen in it, the Coravin Aerator purports to aerate the wine that you pour while protecting the rest of the wine in the bottle — until the time comes for it to be poured.
So, is this a product that you need to have around the house? Personally, I enjoy having a lot of “tools” and “toys” around the wine refrigerator, and the Coravin Aerator can come in handy when I want to make sure special wines — like those featured in the Elevant Society — “show well” throughout a meal.
The Coravin Aerator was just released and at this time the product is so new there are not even any consumer reviews yet over at Amazon. Mine’s on it’s way here and I’ll be sure to post an update as soon as I try it.
