This post will be all about useful wine “tools”. I would recommend having all three, but the choice ultimately is yours. Stoppers are a great place to begin. Any open, unfinished bottle of wine should go in the refrigerator with a stopper of some kind in it. I would recommend metal or wooden with rubber “ribs” or rings. If the bottle is sparkling wine, then I would recommend one that gives you a good pressure seal, like the one on top in the picture. For those who are a fan of the Vacuvin (I am not opposed to them), if the bottle usually sits unfinished for a week or less, it is really not necessary. All of these stoppers can easily be had in Billy’s price range. Remember, reds should be brought out of the refrigerator an hour or 2 before drinking. For most reds, the optimal serving temperature is 65 degrees F, in order to maximize the flavors.
The second “tool” I would recommend is a double-hinged wine key, sometimes called the waiter’s wine key or the waiter’s friend. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a DOUBLE-HINGED one; it really makes a difference. The one I use is the style most sommeliers have. It has a wooden handle with a serrated foil cutter built in. The worm (twisty part) is stainless and has a sharp tip. The metal fulcrum at the end is hinged and has a bottle opener built in. This makes pulling the cork much easier. There are many other ways to remove the cork from a bottle of wine, but if this is what most sommeliers around the world use, why not try it? A descent quality key can be bought at the low end of Steve’s price range. Trust me, you will not regret it.
The third “tool” is a Coravin wine preservation system. This will not be for all of you, and they are not cheap ($150 – $200). But, if you are the kind of wine drinker who likes a glass or two at a time with food, than this is what you need. If you like to try different wine pairings or have “cellared” bottles that you just want to sample, this is the “tool” for you. A bottle properly tapped with this device can last for months, if not indefinitely. I personally have a few bottles I “sampled” that are still good 3+ years later!! The Coravin uses a long “needle” to pierce the cork, then replace the wine you pour out with argon gas (it’s inert). When you remove the “needle”, if done properly, the cork reseals itself. This process can be done many times to a single bottle. The system I bought from Amazon came with 2 extra canisters & 2 Coravin screw caps, which should do for most of you (one canister lasts a long time). If you a have a cellar and sample multiple bottles frequently, than you might want to buy extra canisters & screw caps. This “tool” is clearly in Reggie III’s price range.
That should do it for blog post #13. Next week will be another food and wine pairing. Cheers!