Must Have Wine Accessories

Wine lovers have their own preferences. Some of them love the club environment of professional bars while others want to have their drinks in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. If you find yourself in the second group, you must have made or are in the process of making your own home bar. To enjoy drinks with your gatherings, there are certain 'Must Have' wine accessories. Check the list and find out whether you've got it or not?

Bottle Openers: Whether you serve beer, scotch or wine, you'll need bottle openers. Some of them are very complicated while others are simple corkscrews. Openers need not to be expensive but they should be such that operate smoothly. There are various types of openers- lever-style, twist-style, waiter-style, pump-style, uncorking machines and wing corkscrews. The levers are designed to pull the cork out of a wine bottle while the corkscrews are inserted and then pulled out carefully. If one fears digging out the cork, the wine corkscrews known as the Rabbit are for them. It's easy and stress free to open bottles with them. They are ideal for women, who can't pull cork with force or for someone who may have arthritis and loss of hand dexterity and strength.

Wine Glasses: Obvious than anything else, you'll need wine glasses to drink from. Always keep in mind that the shape of the wine glass you drink from, decides your perception of the wine. The contours of a glass lead the liquid to different tongue zones for maximum effect. Wine glasses with large, broad bowls are good for red wines and narrower wine glasses are good for lighter white wines. The tall, slender champagne flute directs the champagne to the tip of the tongue, where sweet and sour tastes tingle and lets you taste the lightness of the champagne. Typically tall and narrow bowls on long stems allow the bubbles to rise to the top. The glass keeps the wine cool as air only heats the small surface area on top of the bowl, and the long stem keeps the fingers of glass holder away from the bowl to prolong the chill.

Wine Decanter: A wine decanter is more than an attractive vessel which is used to serve the wine. Pouring your wine into a decanter removes sediments and softens harsh tasting tannins present in some red wines. In fact, decanting wine is an excellent way to improve its taste. The glass or crystal decanters also highlights the liquid’s natural colors. However, for getting all the benefits of a wine decanter, it should be cleaned as soon as it is empty with a decanter cleaning brush that is specifically designed to reach its every corner. Mild soapy tap or warm, but never boiling water is best for the purpose. Then rinsing it thoroughly will definitely prevent tainting the next wine. Prior to decanting, leave the bottle upright for a day for young wines. Wines that are 15 years or older, should be left upright for a week. For wines older than 40 years, the deposits are extremely fine, so lay the bottle down for one month before standing it up for the week. A funnel having a cheesecloth filter works well to pour into a decanter but never use coffee filters as they add the taste of paper to the wine.

Wine Chiller: A wine chiller or a wine cooler can be set to keep different types of wines at the proper temperature for serving. These chillers come in different sizes in which a couple of bottles or many different bottles of wine can be stored at the appropriate temperature. The temperature at which wine is served has an immense impact on its taste. Most of the red wines should be slightly chilled at about 65 degrees F. However, wine coolers are mostly required for white or sparkling wines. The sparkling wines and Champagne should be completely chilled.

Although most of the people prefer to finish a whole bottle at one go, some others end up with a portion of a bottle left over. If this is the matter, then, essential bar accessories for you will also include wine stoppers that will preserve the wine more effectively for other times.