Why Is Aeration Important?

Have you ever wondered why it is people swirl their wine glasses? Well, it isn't just for show!

Swirling a glass helps to aerate its contents and when it comes to wine, this is a very, very good thing. But practically speaking, this isn't the best way to achieve aeration (and can be a bit messy after you've enjoyed a few glasses).

Our helpful guide will break down the science of aeration and how it can take your wine drinking experience to new heights. But first, we have to ask ourselves, just what exactly is aeration?

The Science Behind Aeration

Aerating is the act of incorporating oxygen into a liquid, in this case, wine. Oxygen reacts with the volatile compounds present in the wine and releases and intensifies the aromas and flavors in it. Let's say you have a young wine you've been dying to try. You open it up and take a sip but can instantly tell it's not showing to its full potential. Fear not – there's an easy fix.

Just Add Oxygen

As we discussed above, what you'll need to do is add oxygen to your wine. Two things take place when wine is aerated: evaporation and oxidation. By introducing a controlled amount of oxygen, you give all the lovely volatile compounds in your wine the opportunity to unfold almost instantly. You also allow the wine's less attractive aromas, which are often present when you first uncork a bottle, to blow off. These unsavory aromas tend to react and evaporate off the wine faster than the appealing ones.

Why Aerators and Decanters Are Necessary

Here is where the surface area of the wine in relation to oxygen exposure comes in to play. If you simply pour wine into a glass, only a limited area of it comes into contact with the air. This is why people swirl their glasses but ultimately you'll still end up waiting upwards of half an hour for the wine to open up properly. Decanting and using an aerator dramatically increase the surface area exposed to oxygen and exponentially increase aeration potential.

▼ Why should you aerate your wine?

By introducing a controlled amount of oxygen, bitter tannins and unsavory compounds like sulfur or ethanol mellow out, allowing the wine to release more favorable flavors and aromas.

▼ Does aerating wine make a difference?

Absolutely! By aerating wine, you're exposing the wine to air which softens any harsh edges like intense tannins in young reds. As a result, you're able to enjoy the wine's more desirable flavors and aromas like notes of red berries.

▼ When should you aerate a wine?

Young, highly-tannic red wines and some full-bodied white wines typically need to be aerated. You'll notice it right away when opening the bottle if there are any strong sulphur-like odors (match sticks), tannins (bitter tea), or ethanol (the biting taste of alcohol) that require aeration or decanting.

▼ Are you supposed to aerate red wine?

Highly tannic red wines benefit greatly from aeration by mellowing out the bitter tannins and allowing more desirable flavors to shine through like red fruit.

Letting Wine Breathe

There's a common myth out there that you can simply open a bottle of wine and let it stand and somehow, this is magically meant to help the wine breathe. Next time you break a bottle out of your cellar take a look at that opening. Pretty small, isn't it? If you're looking to introduce a little oxygen to your wine to help it develop, simply uncorking the bottle is not the way to go about doing it.

Swirling Wine

There are several ways to aerate wine but not all of them are created equally. Like we talked about back at the beginning, you can swirl a glass full of wine but frankly, this won't get the job done to the standards we're looking for.

Decanters vs Wine Aerators

If you prefer the more old-fashioned route, you can pour the wine into a decanter, however, you'll still have to wait anywhere from a few minutes to several hours for the wine to begin to show. That said, when it comes to older vintages and delicate wines, decanters are a fantastic option and especially necessary to separate any wine sediment. But for that bold, young, tannic red, decanters just won't do. In the interest of saving time without sacrificing results, a wine aerator is your best bet. It works instantly. Just pour and sip.

Have you ever opened a bottle of wine and the flavor seemed a little off?

Was it the wine or was it you? If you’re serious about wine, you may know well that in order to maximize the wine's flavor and aromas, you need to decant it! And you probably have a favorite glass decanter that you use to decant wine. But what if we told you that there’s an easier way?

Small Tools, Big Results

The Vintorio Wine Aerator Pourer is the most popular wine aerator pourer on Amazon, garnering more than 15,000 reviews and a nearly five star rating.

You can place your Vintorio Wine Aerator Pourer into the neck of the bottle and pour away. The difference will be staggering and you can actually see the Vintorio Pourer work its magic. As the wine passes through the aerating chamber, it is injected with air bubbles which immediately react with the wine's volatile compounds to unlock aromas and flavors and instantly open up your wine. No more waiting, no mess, and never again will you have to drink a wine that is anything less than excellent.

If you prefer a handheld model, take a look at the Vintorio Omni Wine Aerator. The Omni works wonderfully for boxed wine and sits drip-free on a small cradle on your table top when not in use. Because the Omni Wine Aerator has a wider opening than similar handheld aerators on the market, you're also less likely to spill or splash wine around.

▼ How long should you decant wine?

If you're using a traditional glass decanter to decant wine, the length of time needed for decanting will vary depending on the type of wine being served and can take between 15-30 minutes to three hours. If you want to shorten that time, we suggest using the Vintorio Wine Aerator to inject the wine with the optimal amount of oxygen and speed up the decanting process so that the wine will be ready-to-drink lightning fast.

▼ Does the Vintorio Wine Aerator work?

Yes! We don't want to toot our own horn, so to speak, but our thousands of customers absolutely rave about our product. It may sound like a gimmick with the promise of better wine, but our aerators are backed by real science. The simple device pops onto the wine bottle and uses the Bernoulli Effect (or Bernoulli's Principle) to inject wine with the optimal amount of oxygen needed to improve the overall flavors and aromas in your wine. It's quicker than traditional decanters, and it's much easier to clean and store!

▼ What does an aerator do?

A wine aerator is usually a handheld or on-the-bottle device that injects wine with oxygen to speed up the decanting or aeration process in order to reduce undesirable flavors and let more desirable flavors shine through! You can use a traditional glass wine decanter to do the job, but it may take up to a few hours. Aerators shorten that time significantly, so that you save time!

▼ What is the purpose of a decanter?

A wine decanter allows you to serve wine beautifully with the intention of decanting. By exposing the wine to oxygen via the decanter's wide surface area, the more expressive flavors in your wine unfolds and the less desirable flavors will subside. The decanter also allows you to filter and remove any unwanted residue like sediment or crumbled cork from older wine bottles.

Have you ever opened up a bottle of wine and been hit by waves of alcohol fumes or found it smells like matchsticks? Your wine isn't off, it just needs to be aerated. And you'll be thankful if you do. Once allowing these undesirable aromas to blow off, you can get to the heart of the wine and experience the finer nuances it has to offer.

You can aerate any wine – red, white, rosé, still, sparkling, it doesn't matter. That said, you'll typically find yourself reaching for your aerator when drinking reds. Is that young Syrah a bit too tight on your palate? Aerating doesn't just release aromas in a wine; it's a gentle way to smooth out rough tannins and create an overall more pleasing wine drinking experience. The Omni Aerator is easily one of the best aerators you can invest in to get the most out of your wine. The only aerator on the market to combine traditional decanter funnels with modern aerator technology, the Omni will have you saying goodbye to harsh tannins and hello to beautiful bouquets and all the sensational flavors you may have otherwise missed in your wine.

After all, if life is too short to drink bad wine, why not get the most out of every bottle?

Aerators are effortless to use, offer instant results, and give you so much more value for your wine. An added bonus? They're absurdly easy to clean, something anyone who has ever tried to clean out a decanter will particularly appreciate! These beautiful wine gadgets will completely transform your wine drinking experience for the better.