Let’s not be shy about it - we can all admit the anticipation that overcomes us when we think about that first glass of wine after a difficult day’s work; and the sweet relief we feel after that first sip!
If you happen to be a red wine drinker - perhaps you think of yourself as somewhat of a connoisseur - then maybe you’ve reached that level of sophistication where you’ve started to think about how you can really release the best flavors and aromas from your glass of wine.
Maybe you’re no longer fully satisfied with simply buying a bottle, opening it and pouring it straight in your glass to drink when you know you could be doing more to enhance the experience.
If this sounds like you, then you might want to consider investing in a wine aerator for your favorite drink. Sometimes wine that has been freshly corked can have a ‘hard’ or ‘earthy’ taste to it.
Aerating it allows oxygen in, meaning it then lets out things like sulfites, making it far more drinkable than it already is - which is quite something!
Below is a list we have put together of the seven best wine aerators, so you can enjoy that glass of red in style!
OUR TOP PICK
This sleek-looking wine decanter is super easy to use! It takes minimal effort as it’s electric and does the work pretty much by itself.
All you have to do is connect the guide tube to the aerator itself, put the tube into the wine bottle and press the power button.
Then your red wine will flow right through the decanter (it has a powerful pump) and become all the more luxurious in flavor for you to savor!
It’s super quiet and has an airtight rubber seal, so your wine remains fresh as you take your time to drink it.
It also comes with a USB rechargeable battery, and is very easy to clean - simply pump water through it instead of wine!
Pros
- Easy to use - being electric means it does all the work for you - just set it up in 3 simple steps, and it’s ready to go!
- Powerful pump - this means wine flows through the decanter easily into your glass
- Quiet - it does its job quietly, so it isn’t annoying
- Airtight rubber seal - keeps wine in the bottle tasting fresh
- USB rechargeable battery - means you don’t need to constantly buy new batteries for it
Cons
- Expensive - a little more expensive than others available on the market
Also available at: Ebay
EDITORS CHOICE
This elegant looking aerator uses the Bernoulli Effect - the theory that if you increase the speed in which a fluid moves, then it will decrease its pressure - to provide your wine with the perfect amount of oxygen, so it tastes beautiful.
It’s super easy to use and clean - simply insert it into your wine bottle and pour it, and then take it apart and rinse through to clean it!
It has a notched spout tip and a swan-neck pour spout for good pouring accuracy, and it has a tapered and ribbed rubber gasket to give it an airtight seal that stops leakages.
Added to this, it even comes with a lifetime warranty if it’s not up to your standards!
Pros
- Easy to use - all you have to do is insert it into your bottle of red and pour away
- Easy to clean - simply disassemble it and rinse out all the parts
- Notched spout tip and swan-neck pour spout - these features allow for good accuracy when pouring and no splashing
- Tapered and ribbed rubber gasket - means it won’t leak, and it seals the wine to keep it fresh
- Lifetime warranty - if you don’t like it, you can get your money back at any time!
Cons
- Might not fit in all bottles - if you get an odd-shaped or sized bottle, it may not fit in the head
Also available at: Vintorio
BEST VALUE
This Vinturi aerator is actually a handheld mechanism and is very simple to use! All you have to do is hold it over your wine glass with one hand and with the other pour the wine through it and into the glass.
It has an easy-to-grip silicone body so that you can hold it comfortably, and it will be stable as you pour your wine into your glass.
The fact it comes with a no-drip stand means that when you’re not using it, you can display it in your kitchen and also keep wine off your surfaces. And when it comes to cleaning, it has the added benefit of being safe to put in the dishwasher!
It also comes with a protective filter screen so that your glass of wine doesn’t get any cork bits or sediment in it when pouring.
Pros
- Easy to use - simply hold over your wine glass and pour the wine through it straight from the bottle
- Silicone body - means it’s easy to grip when you pour through it, so it won’t drop and smash
- No-drip stand - comes with a stand where you can display it when not using it, so wine doesn’t stain your surfaces
- Dishwasher safe - can wash in the dishwasher, making life that much easier!
- Filter screen - protects your wine from bits of cork and sediment
Cons
- Small opening - the opening at the top is quite small, so you need to be accurate and pour carefully!
Also available at: Vinturi
RUNNER UP
This wine aerator is also handheld, and is once again super easy to use - just hold it over your glass in one hand and pour your wine through it with the other!
This aerator has a wider opening at the top so that you have enough room to aim - which may of course be needed after one or two glasses of vino! The chamber is also deep, so you can pour quite a lot of wine at once without it overflowing.
It also includes a no-drip stand so that you can place it there safely in the knowledge that it won’t drip and get wine on your surfaces. And when it comes to cleaning the actual aerator, simply put it in the dishwasher and let it do the work for you!
Pros
- Easy to use - all you have to do is hold it over your wine glass and pour your wine through it!
- Wide opening - designed for easier pouring accuracy, so it doesn’t spill
- Deep chamber - means it won’t overflow as you pour through it
- No-drip stand - place it on the stand, so wine doesn’t drip off it onto your surfaces
- Dishwasher safe - easy to clean as the dishwasher will do all the work for you!
Cons
- Difficult to clean if you don’t have a dishwasher - if you have to clean it by hand, it can be a hassle because it has seven small parts to clean
Also available at: Zazzol
RUNNER UP
This RBT aerator looks like something out of a chemistry lab with its super cool design, meaning it will look beautiful in your kitchen or wherever you choose to keep it!
To use, pour wine from the bottle into the glass decanter and once you have enough in there, pick up the decanter and pour straight into your wine glass.
This is a great idea as the glass aerator looks fancy and is super spacious, so you can fit most of a bottle in there - it would be great for a dinner party!
It comes with a micro-perforated strainer that removes cork and sediment and a funnel that, when you pour the wine through, creates a waterfall effect as it goes into the decanter glass.
It also comes with a wooden coaster to set it down on, so wine doesn’t drip onto your surfaces.
Pros
- Nice design - looks super stylish, so you can put on display
- Spacious - the glass decanter is very big so can fit a lot of wine in it at once
- Micro-perforated strainer - stops cork and sediment from entering the wine
- Fun waterfall effect - looks cool when you pour wine through the funnel
- Wooden coaster - can place on the coaster meaning wine doesn’t get onto surfaces
Cons
- Expensive - Costs a lot more than other aerators available
Also available at: Rabbit
RUNNER UP
This is another handheld wine aerator, so once again, all you have to do is hold it above your glass and pour the bottle of red wine through it into your glass with your free hand.
The aerator also uses Bernoulli’s Principle, which is very effective at aerating your wine. It comes with a 304 food grade stainless steel filter, which ensures no sediment or cork gets into your wine after pouring it.
It’s very easy to clean - after you’ve used it, just run tap water through it until you can see it’s clean and then place it on the no-drip stand that comes with it to make sure it doesn’t drip on your surfaces!
Pros
- Easy to use - simply hold it above your wine glass and pour your wine through it from the bottle into the glass
- Uses Bernoulli’s Principle - this is a well-tested and effective way of aerating your wine
- 304 food grade filters - stops cork and sediment from entering your wine
- Easy to clean - once you’ve used it, just run tap water through it till it appears clean
- No-drip stand - ensures nothing drips on your surfaces
Cons
- Small chamber - could potentially overflow if you pour into it too fast
Also available at: Ebay
RUNNER UP
If you’re looking for something super simple and convenient to use, this aerator is the one for you! Simply insert it into your wine bottle, and you’re ready to go - just pour it straight into your wine glass.
This also uses the Bernoulli Effect to aerate your wine, which means it’s very effective at doing its job. As long as you can see bubbles in your wine as you pour, it means it’s working!
This new and improved product has a tapered seal so that it doesn’t leak even a little, and it fits into both screw cap bottles and cork bottles.
You even get two aerators for the price of one in this combo pack, so you can keep one as a spare - maybe to take to parties to impress your friends!
It’s very easy to clean as you just have to run it under warm water or, for a deeper clean, disassemble it and wash it.
Pros
- Easy to use - pop it into your wine bottle and pour!
- Uses Bernoulli Effect - an effective and tested way of aerating wine
- Tapered seal - means it’s leak-proof
- Fits every bottle size - fits in both screw cap and cork bottles
- Easy to clean - simply run under warm water until it’s clean or disassemble and handwash for a deeper clean
Cons
- Looks simple - if you wanted something more fancy or sophisticated, this probably isn’t the product for you
Buyer’s Guide
When it comes to buying the right kind of aerator for your needs, you want to make sure you’re buying something that suits your level of devotion and interest in making red wine taste smoother and more flavorsome.
What you don’t want to do is purchase something over-complicated that, on the whole, diminishes the experience of enjoying your glass of wine in the evening.
Below are a few things you might want to consider before investing in your aerator.
Type
When choosing an aerator, it can become quite difficult to decide which type to buy. For example, you can pick between handheld ones, electric ones and pouring ones.
Handheld ones require a bit more effort (but are still very easy to use) because you need to use both hands - one to hold the aerator over the wine glass and the other to actually pour the wine from the bottle through it - and the chamber might be small, so you have to pour fairly slowly.
Electric ones usually only require you to insert it into the bottle and press a button, but you need to remember about getting batteries for them.
Pouring ones are probably the simplest because you only need to insert them into the wine bottle and pour out of them and that’s it.
Cleaning
One of the important things to consider when buying an aerator is whether it’s easy to clean or not. The last thing you need when you’re trying to have a chilled out evening/night is to spend ages cleaning out the aerator once you’re done with it.
Luckily, most are super easy to clean and all you have to do is rinse them with warm water or, for a deeper clean, disassemble them and wash each part (usually there aren’t too many pieces).
Some can even go in the dishwasher to be washed, so if you do own a dishwasher, then maybe look out for those to make your life even more hassle-free!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does A Wine Aerator Do?
A wine aerator is designed to oxygenate your wine (specifically red wine) and, in the process, get rid of things like sulfites and tannins. This allows the aromas and flavors of your wine to really thrive, making your wine smoother and your drinking experience all the more enjoyable.
Can You Over-Aerate Wine?
Yes you can. If you over-oxygenate the wine, its freshness and drinkability will actually become worse. Remember to only go through the process of aerating it once and don’t leave it in a decanter for too long otherwise it’ll begin to fade.
I want to share with you all of my favorites, as well as share advice on picking certain alcohols and flavors.
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