SpecialSpecials: Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator by Vinturi

Easily and conveniently enhance the flavor, bouquet, and finish of any wine with Vinturi's Essential Wine Aerator. Wine needs to breathe to allow it to open up, release its intended aromas, and of course, make it taste better. Vinturi's patent-pending design speeds up this process by instantly aerating with ease and convenience in the time it takes to pour a glass of wine. Hold the aerator over a glass and pour wine through for instant aeration. It mixes the proper amount of air in the right amount of time. Made of acrylic, the aerator comes with a no-drip stand. It measures 6 inches high and 2 inches wide, and is safe to clean in the dishwasher. Here's something you may notice when first viewing the aerator: Two slightly visible fold lines extend up from each air hole. This is normal. During manufacturing, the material folds around rods and wraps back resulting in the fold lines.

I'll be Darned ... It Works
By elvindeath (Detroit, MI)

I bought one of these on a whim when the product launched just before Christmas. It seemed like a perfect - if unnecessary - stocking stuffer for my wife, since we're both wine enthusiasts. I never really felt these "gimmick" aerators did much that a solid 1/2 hour decanting couldn't do. Boy was I wrong.

The device itself is attractive, compact and solidly built. It appears to be a simple oblong plexiglass "funnel" with a rubber grip. There are two small channels in the center of the funnel, which look like "cracks" in the plastic (I've read product info that assures worried buyers these cracks are proper and unavoidable). Wine is poured through the top of the funnel, and immediately a suction sound is heard as the pouring draws air into the wine before it escapes out the bottom of the funnel. The aerator is easily held, and I've never had a problem with spills.

Now on to the "effect" of the Vinturi. I've been using the Vinturi for 5 months now, on a variety of wines ... from a bottle of "Two Buck Chuck", to a nice '98 Vietti Barolo, to a bottle of 97' Phelps Insignia. In every circumstance, with every wine, I've noticed a significant improvement in the quality of the wine when poured through the Vinturi, as opposed to tasted directly from bottle. The flavours are more blended, the finish is less acidic, and frankly, it has made most of the wines I drink a more pleasurable experience, from sniff to swallow. I've conducted several "blind" tastings with friends, and we all agree - this thing works.

If you're a serious wine drinker - or shopping for a wine drinker in your life - give this product a try. At $40, it's about the price of a decent California Cabernet, and will yield results for decades to come. I plan on picking up a few dozen this Christmas and giving them out as gifts to business clients.

Blind Taste Test and The power of Suggestion
By G. M. Vanderdussen "George Vander Dussen" (Modesto, CA)

Many of the reviewers here are claiming that the Vinturi works. Well, I was skeptical, yet I was curious enough to purchased one.

I began by pouring an ounce or two of a red wine directly into the glass, not using the aerator, then tasting the wine. Then I'd pour more of the same wine through the Vinturi and taste again. In most cases I believed I could taste a difference between the non-aerated and aerated wine. For a week or two I was quite impressed with the Vinturi; yet deep inside I was wondering whether the power of suggestion was influencing my assessment.

In order to objectively challenge the performance of the Vinturi, I performed a little experiment. I left the room and had my wife pour three glasses of red wine from the same bottle; two were poured without the aerator and one with the aerator. Once the bubbles from the aeration settled (30 seconds or so), my wife called me back into the room to perform the "blind tasting" to see if I could discern the wine which had been poured through the Vinturi.

It turns out that the Vinturi really does work. I was able to pick which wine of the three was aerated. All skepticism has been removed as far as I'm concerned. I've recommended the Vinturi to several of my wine drinking friends and they likewise have confirmed the effectiveness of the Vinturi's aeration.

There are two reasons why I don't give this product a five star rating. The first reason, as another reviewer has already noted, is that the wine must be carefully poured into the Vinturi at a specific rate. Pour too fast and the wine will overflow. Pour too slow and the Vinturi will run dry and won't aerate properly. It takes careful attention.

Second, the Vinturi will continue to drip wine after each use. It does come with a handy little holder which keeps the wine from running onto the table, but then the little holder needs to be washed after each use.

These concerns are small matters in the overall perspective. It really comes down to the tasting experience. If you enjoy tasting good red wines then these blemishes are small compromises to make.

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