For several years now, when I’m at my grandparents’ house for the holidays, a few hours before dinner, I am given the same instructions. My grandfather requests that I select a few bottles for dinner and uncork them so they can breathe. Sometimes, of course, I wouldn’t be home, or the thought of opening wine would slip our minds in the general chaos that surrounds the holiday season. Thus, there are always a few nights during my stay when the bottles of wine we enjoy at dinner are opened just prior to sitting down. Inevitably, there were wines which tasted a bit rough or a bit flat initially that opened up over time and were far more expressive the following evening. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my duty. If anything, it makes me seem more useful at dinner time than I really am. However, why have to worry about planning so far ahead when there’s a better way available?

Wine aerators allow wines to express themselves more fully and more quickly. Instead of waiting for a bottle to have ample breathing time, you can simply uncork, aerate, and enjoy. It’s not magic, so bad wine won’t suddenly be good, and the amount of enhancement varies with each bottle, but, overall, wine aerators are far more convenient than waiting for wines to breathe.

Of course, the question remains, which aerators are most effective at bringing wine to their full flavor potential? Recently, our wine tasting panel got together to answer this very question with wine aerators from industry leaders like Vinturi, Rabbit, and Final Touch. Here’s what we thought of each:

Vinturi Aerators

Vinturi offers both a red and a white wine aerator. They are small enough to be easily portable, and come with convenient carrying bags. The red wine aerator was equally effective as the rabbit pourer in terms of highlighting the bouquet of the wines we tested, and because it is used independently of the bottle, it’s very helpful if you’re serving multiple wines at once. The white aerator had the same benefits of convenience and versatility, but it did not always make as significant a difference in tastes and aromas when compared to the red aerator. For creamy Chardonnays, it brought out the vanilla flavors very nicely and made the wines much more enjoyable. For dryer whites, however, there was less of a difference. The Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris our panel tested had some flavor enhancements, but they were not all that noticeable. So fans of rounder whites, like Chardonnay and Viongier, should seriously consider an aerator. For fans of dry whites, there isn’t as much of a need.

The Rabbit Aerating Pourer

Perhaps the most convenient of the aerators we tested, as it can be placed directly into the mouth of a bottle. Once in place, aeration becomes as simple as pouring another glass. The Rabbit was quite effective, too. All of us noted enhanced flavors and aromas in each wine we tested. The only slight drawback is that pouring can be a bit messy. The pourer did tend to drip, though not enough to be much of a hassle. However, it was a bit inconvenient to pour multiple wines. Removing the pourer from one bottle and placing it into a new one was cumbersome at times, but, if you’re only a one bottle at a time party, then it’s not a problem.

Final Touch Enhancers

Our wine panel tested three Final Touch products. Two (the WA20 & WA71) were aerators that attached directly to a bottle of wine; the third was a set, with an enchanter and decanter. The aerators (or flavor enhancers) that attach directly to bottles of wine are quite convenient for pouring from a single bottle, but like the Rabbit, were not as accommodating for opening more than one bottle. In addition, they were not as effective at drawing out scents and flavors as the other aerators we tested. This was in contrast to the decanter/aerator set, which proved to be the most effective tool, as the wines we tested had noticeably more pizazz. The drawback, however, is that, when using the decanter, it’s logical to use the whole bottle of wine. Thus, if you intend to finish a nice bottle with some friends, the combination of aerating and decanting will move the wine to its fullest expression. If you’re like me, though, and don’t often finish an entire bottle in one night, the Rabbit or Vinturi aerators are the way to go.

In the end, the best aerator for you depends on how you go about drinking wine. People who like to enjoy one bottle slowly, over a couple of nights, should think about the Rabbit Pourer. Those who enjoy experimentation and comparison of wines side-by-side, will likely do best with the Vinturi aerators. Lastly, people that are social wine drinkers and always finish their wine should think about the set from Final Touch, as it maximizes the enhancement of wine over a single evening. Whatever your habits, aerators can greatly improve your experience tasting wine. I’m hooked on them. Now, I’ll just have to work on my grandfather.