VinO2 Vinturator

VinO2 Vinturator

Email correspondence addressed to Team WINE announced that this was "the hottest product to hit South Africa". It turned out to be the latest idea on wine aeration, endorsed by one Master Zen Lhu.

VinO2 Vinturator

 

The VinO2 is a trademark-registered utensil that aerates wine as it is poured. Made out of Perspex, it looks like a buffed-up liqueur glass, with the outside layer curved to allow for easy forefinger and- thumb grip. It comes neatly packaged too, but you might not want to overanalyse the marketing essay on the inside flap of the box...

To use, you simply pour your wine into the VinO2 and allow it to travel through the hole at the bottom and down a shaft that widens at the base. Two openings at the neck of the contraption create a vacuum that allows air to rush in, audibly aerating the wine as it passes into the glass. It also comes with a drip stand. But does it work?

On testing, the gizmo performed well enough - although it did require some prepping, since the Perspex smell was so potent that we felt it might taint the wine. A couple of pours through the contraption and some wastage did away with this little irritation and testing could proceed.

We poured a glass of Rex Equus Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 that had passed through the gizmo, as well as a control glass of wine that hadn't been exposed to the aeration process. Both were tasted blindly.

The wine that had been channelled through the "vinturator" did indeed impress more, showing more distinct varietal characteristics that seemed somewhat "hidden" in the control glass. Tannins also appeared more rounded. Impressive.

Although, as someone remarked in the office, it is not necessarily a gizmo you would want to expose your Kanonkop Paul Sauer to, but probably better suited to week-night wines.

The VinO2 retails for approximately R220, excluding shipping cost. Order at www.vinturator.co.za, where you can also customise your VinO2.

Got a gizmo worthy of review? Mail Jeanri-Tine van Zyl at jeanri@ramsaymedia.co.za.