As wine lovers, we all like to have a small (or not so small) collection of bottles at home so that we can enjoy wine with family or friends at any time. However, the deeper we get into the world of wine, the more we discover a wide variety of wine accessories.
Do you want to know which accessories we are talking about?
Vinoteca
These are air-conditioned cabinets to keep the wine bottles at a constant temperature and humidity, which are essential for the wine to retain all its quality . It is convenient to have a wine cabinet if you have a high quality wine collection, as they also protect the bottles from light, in a horizontal position and away from odours.
There are wine cabinets of different prices and sizes, from 4 bottles to more than 100 bottles:
Wine storage cabinet for 100 bottles
Wine storage cabinet for 6 bottles
Bottle racks
Bottle racks are structures or cabinets suitable for storing bottles of wine, perfect when we already have the temperature and relative humidity at home. They are available in different prices, sizes and materials: wood, metal, stone, synthetic materials, design, traditional, etc.
It is important that the bottles are placed horizontally so that the cork does not dry out. We advise you not to place the bottle rack in the kitchen as this is the place that suffers the greatest temperature fluctuations when the temperature rises a lot during cooking.
Corkscrew
An indispensable instrument for opening wine bottles. Nowadays there are an infinite number of corkscrews, from the most rudimentary to the newest and most elaborate. But it is not a recent instrument, as they date back to the end of the 18th century. More than 3,000 examples are collected in the Museum Vivanco , where we can appreciate the evolution of this instrument throughout history and admire its curious designs.
Infographic of the Museum's corkscrew collection Vivanco, with more than 3,000 examples.
Decanters
A decanter is a utensil, generally made of glass, which is used to pour a bottle of wine into it so that it can "breathe", oxygenate, bring out the aromas of the wine and decant its solid remains, the so-called "wine lees". In this way, the lees accumulate in the base of the decanter and the wine can be served free of residues.
There are numerous designs, from the simplest and cheapest in the form of a bottle with a wide base, to the most expensive, elaborate and avant-garde.
Decanter by Etienne Meneau, Strange Carafescollection
Wine aerators
Aerators are not the same as decanters although both oxygenate the wine. The difference is that the aerator oxygenates the wine instantly and does not leave all the wine in the bottle exposed to the air like the decanter. The aerator is a tool that is placed on top of the bottle and only the wine that is to be consumed is poured in. The wine passes through the filter of the aerator and is oxygenated. There are also aerators that have a filtering system for sediments or lees. Another very useful type is the one that is placed on the bottle like a normal pourer, but when the wine passes through it, it is filtered and aerated. There are some models that also serve as a stopper and by simply turning it, the bottle is hermetically sealed.
Bottle holder
They are very simple utensils that serve to place the bottles on the table while drinking and do not leave stains from dripping wine. It is not recommended to use them as individual bottle racks as the bottles should not be placed vertically so that the corks do not dry out and air or odours do not enter.
Thermometers and hygrometers
Indispensable utensils for the good home storage of wine. Thermometers show the temperature at which the bottles of wine are kept, while hygrometers show the relative humidity of the place.
The ideal temperature for storing wine should be between 12 and 16ºC and the relative humidity should be between 70 and 80%. The most important thing is that the wine does not suffer large temperature fluctuations.
Wooden Thermometer and Hygrometer
What do you think of all these accessories for the enjoyment of wine, do you know of any others?
