Aerating a white wine? Why not?

A couple of months ago Wine reviewed the Vinturi Red Wine Aerator, with very positive results. But we were puzzled when we heard that there is now also a Vinturi White Wine Aerator on the market. Firstly, because it is generally accepted that young red wine should be decanted, or aerated, before serving, but the same rule-of-thumb is not really applied to white wines. However, white wines, especially wooded whites, can benefit from some aeration. Secondary ‘wood’ aromas – think vanilla, cedar and oak – often dominate the more likeable primary fruit aromas in white wines. Exposing wines like these to air will often mellow the wood aromas, exposing the primary flavours. Pouring wine from a great height into your glass is one way to expose your beverage to oxygen, but doing this with each serving might get a bit tricky as the evening wears on. Therefore the Vinturi White Wine Aerator is not only useful for the aromatic benefi ts it bestows on wine, but also for it doublingup as a handy funnel to ‘guide’ wine into your glass without spillage. It isn’t quite clear how the internal White Wine Aerator dimensions differ from the Red Wine Aerator, but suffi ce to say that, when tested, the white wines poured through the White Wine Aerator did appear to be smoother around the edges. Also, as claimed by distributors, the materials used in the making of the Vinturi product range are medical grade, FDAapproved acrylic. Therefore, there are no unwanted aromas or harmful toxins released into your wine. Oh, and it looks kinda cool.

 

The Vinturi White Wine Aerator retails for R495 and is available from Vinturi SA. Call 021 552 8960 or visit www.vinturisa.co.za.