Uncorking a bottle of wine and drinking it immediately will always be a fine option.
But if you're up to the task, letting that wine breathe can produce a more enjoyable glass.
For that, the open-and-wait method is a classic, though not ideal if you're thirsty.
There are the comically large decanters, which work great and are occasionally shaped like a duck, so bonus points for that.
And then there are the countless gadgets you can pour wine through to help it open up.
This... is better than all of those. Or more fun, at least. Because this just-launched contraption lets you aerate wines to your preference with the turn of a dial and the push of a button. It's called Aervana Select, and it's the latest innovation in how you'll serve that bottle of red with dinner tonight.
This thing is like a little battery-powered draft system with a telescoping steel tube that sits inside the bottle and keeps sediment at bay. Affix it to the top of your bottle, push a button, and wine comes out. It's a miracle.
But more important to the integrity of your drink is the fact that this device has multiple aeration settings. If you turn the dial all the way to the left, it's just like pouring from the bottle into your glass—perfect for light, crisp wines like Pinot Grigio or a delicate rosé. Turn it all the way to the right, and it simulates being in a decanter for three hours—great for your older, bolder, more tannic wines like Cabs and Syrahs. Put it in the middle and... you get the idea.
The result is that you'll soon begin serving better wine to your guests (and to yourself) like some kind of seasoned sommelier. One without a fancy certification or intimate knowledge of appellation laws, sure. But one with perfectly-aerated wine on tap.
And no certification can buy that.
Although $129.95 can.