Gadgets: The Vinturi

I got a Vinturi recently, and thought it was kinda neat, but didn’t pay it too much attention. I was too caught up in the idea that I needed to decant a full bottle of wine into a fancy decanter in order to give it enough time to breathe so it tasted good. AND then, I was (well, ok, am) convinced that I need(ed) to have the right glasses for that wine. Ones made for that specific kind of wine. (OK, yes. I’m a Reidel fanboy. It seriously makes a difference. You want to know? Lemme know and I’ll see what I can’t do to put you (and, ideally, a few of your friends, together with a rep to give you a tasting. It’s *insane* how much of a difference it makes.)

Anyway, I was as skeptical of the Vinturi as I was about the Reidel when I first heard about the concept. And then… I poured tonight’s Cline Syrah into my glass without using the Vinturi. My first instinct was to re-pour the wine. Then I realized this would be a good test.  

I A/B’d the wine. I tasted it, and … it was… closed. All wrapped around itself. It was … fine, but not good. So, I took a second glass and ran the wine through the Vinturi. The next sip was as though I were tasting a completely different wine all together. I was actually kinda stunned. This was a wine I’d expected would have sat in a premium decanter for the day. Or at least a couple of hours. It’s that different. 

So, what makes a Vinturi that much different? And how, exactly, does that little sucker work? Apparently, through math. 

This is the equation that the Vinturi site offers as part of the how it works section:

Yeah, I know. What? When I drink my wine, that up there is not what I’m thinking about. Just sayin’. But what does all that math mumbo-jumbo mean?? (there’s a reason I went into PR and writing people)

Well, according to Vinturi, all that P+ 1/2 – 3 stuff means that your wine has:

BETTER BOUQUET
Sample the nose. You’ll appreciate the subtle aromatic differences and the full aroma of the wine. Vinturi allows wine to display its intended aromas.

ENHANCED FLAVORS
Go ahead, take a sip. Vinturi’s wine tastes better. It is more flavorful and has better mouthfeel. It tastes like a richer, more expensive wine. It tastes like it was intended to and is more enjoyable.

SMOOTHER FINISH
Ahh. Vinturi’s aeration is very effective at softening tannins which results in a much more pleasant finish. Any bitterness or bad aftertaste is reduced or eliminated. [source]

Now, again, I thought this was all marketing hype. I’m a recovering PR girl. I know from hype, and yet… this is actually true, once you’ve tried the product. It really does do all those things. Blows my mind a little.

If you’re a wine lover, and you don’t yet have a decanter, or, you’ve got one but you don’t always want to decant the entire bottle, go buy a Vinturi. Seriously. These rock. If I, the most skeptical chick on the planet, can be convinced, you will too. 

(images courtesy of Vinturi)