For the greatest home wine bar, the first step is investing in the ultimate wine accessories!
The Right Accessories for Your Wine
The term “wine accessories” is a general term used to describe any item or piece of equipment used in the storing or serving of wine. Wine accessories include wine glasses, wine bottle openers, wine coolers, wine decanters, wine racks and wine stoppers, among other items.
Wine Glasses
The wine glass is the consummate wine accessory. Wine glasses are a type of stemware and are generally composed of three parts: the bowl, stem, and the foot. The shape of the glass is very important, as it concentrates the flavor and bouquet (smell) to emphasize the taste of the wine. Both blown glass and crystal tend to be the preferred choices, where, in general, the thinner the glass is, the higher the quality.
Except for the wine connoisseur’s collection, wine glasses can be divided into two general types: red wine glasses and white wine glasses. There is a third type, champagne glasses, but we will not be covering those here.
Red Wine Glasses
Because red wine needs to breathe for the best flavor and bouquet, glasses for red wine have a rounder, wider bowl to maximize air exposure. Most red wine is served at room temperature, so the shape of the bowl also ensures that the wine does not become too warm as it is being held.
White Wine Glasses
White wine is best served chilled, so white wine glasses have a narrower shape both to retain temperature and to make it more difficult for hand-to-bowl contact (which would transfer body heat to the liquid).
Other Wine Accessories
Bottle Openers
Another important wine accessory is the wine bottle opener. Wine bottle openers are known by many different names, including corkscrew, popper and wine key (also called a sommelier knife). A necessary implement to open wine bottles that are stopped with a cork, the mechanism to release the cork differs based on the type of opener used. Perhaps the most popular is the wine key, which resembles a pocketknife and has a small blade for cutting foil and a screw with a bottle brace.
Wine Coolers
Another popular (albeit more high-end) wine accessory is the wine cooler or chiller. Characterized as any type of equipment used to chill wine, you can purchase either small tabletop units or larger refrigerator-style coolers - some large enough to walk into.
Wine Decanters
Both beautiful and useful, wine decanters are a must-have wine accessory for the true connoisseur. Almost always made of glass and specifically designed for red wine, decanters promote the aeration of wine, which thereby improves the wine's bouquet and taste. Decanters help prevent dripping by improving the pour, and also separate out sediment, especially from older vintages.
Wine Racks
Wine racks are built for bottle storage, often laying bottles on their side at a slight downward slant toward the bottle’s neck. This position keeps the wine in constant contact with the cork, which prevents the cork from drying out and also helps prevent air from seeping in and ruining the wine. Designed to complement any design style or home decor, wine racks are crafted from a huge variety of materials, including wood, steel and plastic.
Wine Stoppers
Because it is difficult to re-cork a wine bottle, there is a wine accessory specifically intended for the purpose of preserving the wine remaining in the bottle after it’s been opened. Called a “wine stopper”, these are typically are made from cork, rubber or plastic, and come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles.