Wine Accessories

No wine cellar would be complete without a complete line of wine accessories. While there are hundreds of wine accessories available, many of them are either unnecessary or impractical. Wine accessories can be simple or extravagant. A good set of wine glasses are necessary. Red wines traditionally go in glasses with larger, broader bowls to release their aroma. Narrower, slimmer glasses are best for white wines with lighter bouquets as they concentrate the aroma. Champagnes, Proseccos and sparkling wines are best served in tall, narrow glasses called tulips as they showcase the rising bubbles and let the light shine through their delicate hue.

One wine accessory that is often overlooked is a decanter. A decanter serves many purposes, from helping aged wines settle to letting young wines breathe. Decanters range in price and looks, so choose one that fits your taste.

Wine openers, often called corkscrews are an essential wine accessory. The basic “waiter corkscrews” are functional, inexpensive, small and popular, but require patience to use. The most popular wine opener recently is the rabbit style opener. It is virtually impossible to mess up, but they tend to be large and bulky; they can also get expensive. Table top bottle openers are easy to use, but are too large to move and are very costly.

Chilling buckets are nice wine accessories to have, but not necessary. They range from inexpensive buckets for ice to fancy electric models, but a quick trip into the refrigerator will suffice for most people.