The
Aervana: Electric Aeration for Your Wine
Some
people swear by wine aerators; others do not see their
point. The basic idea is simply to get more oxygen into the
wine faster for the purpose of enhancing aromas and flavors.
I've evaluated several different incarnations of aerators. Sometimes
one has to pour the wine through a funnel type design that circulates
air into the wine. Others were designed with a long rod that
could be placed into a glass or the bottle itself for oxygen
to be pumped in directly. Still others attached to the bottle
and deliver oxygen as wine gets poured out.
This
latest aerator I tried out was the Aervana
- the first electric wine aerator (with batteries included,
yeah!). It attaches directly to a bottle and with the push of
a button, wine is pumped up through a straw and delivered into
your glass via a handy spout. In terms of functionality, it
gets high marks. The Aervana is very easy to attach and the
operation is smooth. The wine ends up in your glass nicely oxygenated
and without any of the sediment which may have been in your
bottle. As long as the bottle can stay in one place, it's ideal.
But, if you find yourself at a table where there's a need to
pass the wine around to different people, that could be rather
awkward with the Aervana attached as it becomes a bit top heavy.
Personally,
I think the Aervana would be very useful at
events or gatherings where people are up standing and mingling
but converge on a central location for all the food and drinks.
Setting up wine bottle with an Aervana would
mean fewer spills, as there's no need to lift the bottle when
filling a glass. The spout does drip a small amount, but every
aerator I've come across has the issue, and it's nothing a napkin
underneath can't fix.
So,
in short, I'd highly recommend the Aervana
to caterers with buffets or anyone that will be hosting large
gatherings where people help themselves. In contrast, if you're
only going to use it around the dinner table, I think there
are better options, especially since the price tag is about
$100 per unit. But however one wants to make use of the Aervana,
it is a very solid product. It's really just a matter of the
circumstances for how worthwhile it is.
By Michael Perkins