The Best Audio Wine Books

Is learning more about wine one of your goals?  

If so, here are the best ways to educate yourself as an oenophile:

  1. Gain more exposure to styles of wine through tasting, conversation, and reading

  2. Through that exposure, dial in on exactly what you want to know about wine. Are you wanting a general guide or do you want to geek out on a specific wine region like Saint-Émilion or Champagne? Do you want to learn how wine is made, or maybe you’re specifically curious about women winemakers?

We understand that not everyone has time to sit down and read our favorite wine books cover to cover. That’s why we’re thankful for audio book services like Audible and Kobo, which let us drive or multitask while learning about wine.  

Today’s blog offers our recommendations for our favorite audio wine books. Before we continue, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We’re an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

Let’s dive in!

Best Overall Wine Book on Audible

Raleigh resident and author Elisabeth Schneider’s Wine For Normal People is our current pick for the best overall wine book on Audible.

Schneider has recorded over 300 wine podcasts since 2011. Her speaking and teaching style is fun and upbeat, which is a big plus for an Audio book! She also freely shares her opinion on vineyard practices or marketing techniques that are not in the best interest of many wine consumers.

We love this book because of its funny stories, interesting analogies, and inviting style. Schneider really inspires the reader to get in touch with wine and its history instead of guiding listeners through the world of wine from a purely academic point of view.  

Another great aspect of this book - it’s full of maps and other documentation which are available as a PDF download with purchase of the audio book version!

This audiobook would be a good gift for someone who perhaps already has a copy of Madeline Puckett’s Wine Folly (which does not have an Audible version) and wants to dig a little deeper into the topic without going too far into the weeds.

Best Audible Wine Books About Wine Fraud

The Billionaires Vinegar

This is a suspenseful thriller about the wine world that starts at a wine auction and gallops across the world. You won’t be able to press pause!

 
 

In Vino Duplicatas

The mysterious story of the exclusive world of ultrafine wines and the billionaires who inhabit it. Worth a listen!

 
 

Best Audio Wine Book on California Wine

Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Win

This audio book has a hefty subtitle and a gripping retelling of a pivotal moment in the history of wine.

 
 

Best Investigative Wine Books on Audible

Tasting the Past:  The Science of Flavor and the Search for the Origins of Wine

An adventurous wine book rich with history, science, and compelling characters from across the globe.

 
 

Cork Dork:  A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste

A funny and adventurous romp through the world of wine enthusiasts and wine obsessives (with a great title to boot!).

 
 

Best Super-Casual Guide on Wine

At KnowWines, we love the casual, friendly approach to wine. If you appreciate a casual approach to wine that that lacks pretension, this wine book fits the bill.

 
 

Best Audio Book on Champagne

Get the scoop behind the glamour and glitz of bubbly (great for sharing tales at your next champagne-worthy event!).

 
 

The KnowWines Audible Primer

Now that you’ve reviewed all of our favorite audio wine books, here’s a quick guide on how to get the most out of your Audible experience.

How To Subscribe to Audible and Get 30 Days Free

A subscription to Audible generally runs about $15 per month and you get one book credit per month (this works out to be about $180 per year). Audible is not automatically free for Amazon Prime members. However, if you do have a Prime membership you may get some promotions throughout the year (like two for one on some books or three Audible book credits for a specified discount).

Here’s how to sign up for Audible if you’ve never used it before:

  1. Create an Audible account.

  2. Enter your credit card - it will not be charged unless you renew the subscription at the 30 day mark.

  3. Click ‘Start Your Free Trial Now.’

How To Download an Audible Book

You can download your Audible book onto any device with an Audible App (such as ioS App, Android App or Windows 10 Ap). Audible books can also be downloaded to a Kindle device.

How To Share an Audible Book

When you have purchased an Audible Book, you can also share it with a friend. When you share it with someone, it is free for them and they don’t need to use a credit card as long as it is the first time accepting an Audible book from a friend.

To share an audio book, simply select the book in the Audible App, tap the three dots in the upper right corner, and then select “Send this Book” from the options that appear. Here, I sent a wine audio book to a friend via email. When I did so, this automated email appeared in their inbox notifying them that the book is available and providing instructions on how to download.

 
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Audible Automated Email for Gifting Audio Book.PNG
 

How To Return an Audible Book

You can take a sneak peek at most Audible books using the Audible preview, and thus, you should have a good idea of the book’s quality before purchasing it. Still, Amazon realizes that sometimes a specific book is not up to par.

If you are an Audible subscriber, you can return a book and get one credit (or a credit on your credit card if you did not use a credit) within 365 days of purchasing/selecting an Audible book. But no, you can’t return a random book you purchased and forgot about in 2017.

To return your Audible book and get another one, simply do the following:

  1. Log into Audible.

  2. Go to “Account Details.”

  3. Select “Purchase History.”

  4. For the troublesome book, select “Order Details.”

  5. Under Options, select “Return Title.”

  6. Select the reason you are returning (e.g., “Did not like the narrator.”).

To get the most out of your Audible subscription, check out this great article full of Audible insider tips.  

How to Cancel Your Audible Subscription

It’s important to note that simply deleting the Audible App off from your device will not cancel your subscription.

To cancel your subscription, you must do the following:

  1. Go to “Account Details.”

  2. Select “Cancel Membership.”

  3. Follow the prompts.

You won’t lose any of your previous purchases. You will, however, lose your ability to return books in exchange for other Audible books.

There’s also an option to place your Audible Subscription on hold for a month or two.  To place your subscription on hold contact Audible Customer Service.  You can only place the subscription on hold once per year.  

The Wine Book Conclusion


Audio books are great way to learn about wine. You can listen to them while doing the dishes, going for a run, cleaning the house, or driving across town. Each of the books we’ve shared here provides a window into some aspect of the wine world. We hope you can use our Audible tips to enjoy these - and other - audio wine books!

Cheers!

How to Start a Wine Collection

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Wine collecting is a pastime that can be deeply gratifying, though it may be overwhelming to know where to start. Before we offer our tips, we want to address the perception that all wine collectors purchase and collect wine for status or for investment purposes. We have discovered, thanks to recent innovations in refrigeration and humidity control, starting a wine collection has a reduced barrier to entry in terms of cost. In this blog, we’ll share are a few things to consider before starting a wine collection and some tips for keeping your wine collection safe and optionally insured.

Before we continue, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

Wine Collecting: Know Your Why

How you buy wine and which wines you purchase will vary depending on why you’re interested in collecting wine in the first place. So, ask yourself why you want to collect wine. Below are a few common reasons.

Wine For Personal Consumption

Most wine enthusiasts start a wine collection to have a few bottles of wine on hand for personal consumption. This reduces trips to the wine shop and means that you’ll always have a bottle of wine on hand that appeals to your tastes. Or, perhaps you really like a specific wine that isn’t common or easy to come by in wine shops. In this case, you may want to have more than one bottle on hand.

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One caveat on collecting wine for personal consumption is that a person’s taste in wine may change. In some cases, your taste can change dramatically over months and years. Therefore, one of the risks for collecting wine is that you could develop a giant stash of bottles that you are not interested in. If that occurs, you can always sell your wine online through an auction house, though that effort may not appeal to everyone.

Wine For Sharing

If you love to entertain, or are the person known for always bringing great wines to a dinner party instead of making a side dish or entree, then you may want to collect wine for the purpose of sharing it with friends and family. Wine is, after all, perfect for bringing people together!

Having several great bottles of wine on hand means that you’ll always have wine to choose from for that very special occasion, be it an anniversary, a graduation, a wedding, a birthday, a job promotion, or retirement. Wine makes a great gift that many people appreciate!  

Wine Collecting as an Investment

With market instability, some investors like to diversify their portfolio with wines. When purchasing these wines, provenance is of utmost importance. Be sure to keep receipts of wine purchases and document how the wines are stored.  

If you want to keep up to date on the most valued wines for investments, we recommend following the international auction house Sotheby’s.

Alternatively, you can read more about wine investing here in the helpful eBook Investing in Fine Wine. This book addresses strategies for buying, selling, collecting, and storing fine wines. The narrative approach also offers a window into the world of wine trading.

 
 

Determine a Focus & Strategy for Your Wine Collection

Go Broad with your Wine Collection 

Some wine lovers want to “go broad” in their collection, collecting wines typical of particular styles or regions. If this is approach interests you, we recommend two resources.

First, we love Elizabeth Schneider’s Wine for Normal People. This no-nonsense, down-to-earth guide provides a thorough introduction to the world of wine. This book will teach you about wine tasting, wine regions, wine making, wine etiquette, and yes, how to purchase wine for your budding collection.

 
 

The second resource for those seeking a broad overview of wine styles and regions is WSET (Wine and Spirit Educational Trust). Their WSET Level 1 and Level 2 courses give a macro level view of the entire world of wine and a comprehensive understanding of the styles of wine available. 

 
 

Collect Aged Wines

This is of the most popular reasons for collecting wine: enjoying wines that have spent some time in the bottle.

It’s important to note that not everyone likes the flavor of aged wines. As wines age, the fruit aromas and flavors change. Secondary and tertiary aromas and flavors develop and are detected in aged wines.

If you don’t have much experience with aged wines, visit a winery, restaurant, or local bottle shop and ask if they have aged wines available to taste or an upcoming tasting.  

Collect to Support Your Favorite Winery

Some people simply love to collect wine from their favorite winery to support it. If this approach appeals to you, consider joining a wine club (it’s a lot like buying season tickets to your favorite sports team!).

Collect Wine to Have on Hand for 0-5 Years or 5 - 50 Years

In today’s fast-paced world, collecting wine to have on hand for more than a year from now is a waning trend. Many of today’s wines are intended for immediate consumption. 

Still, collecting wine for the future is enjoyable for people who maintain the wine collecting passion. There are some wines that are crafted with the intention of being consumed immediately or within five years, and others that are intended for consumption 20 to 30 years from now.  

A knowledgeable wine seller will let you know if the particular wine you love falls into any one of these categories: drink now, hold for the short term, or hold for several years.  

Develop A Relationship With A Wine Seller

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Connecting with a local wine seller is especially important if you’ve collected wine for the purpose of reselling.

Why?

Because wine trends change over time. The value of wines increase and decrease depending upon vintage, food and beverage trends, the trendiness of a region or producer, and the location where wine is consumed.

A wine seller can help you understand these variables as they relate to the value of your wine collection.

Determine Your Wine Storage Needs

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While an actual cave is not necessary anymore due to advances in wine refrigeration, you do need to plan a storage solution for your wine.

If you will be drinking your collected wines within a year or so, and your storage space (like a closet or pantry) is not exposed to light or vibration and the temperature is fairly consistent at about 72 degrees F, then you likely don’t need to invest in a wine cabinet.

If you desire to age wines for 3-5 years and grow your collection, you should consider purchasing a wine cabinet. Wine cabinets can vary widely in cost, from about $200 for a small wine refrigerator to over $1000 for a wine maturation cabinet like the EuroCave. There are also quite a few wine cabinets with mid-range pricing that are still very high quality.

If you’re not interested in purchasing a wine cabinet (or simply don’t have space for one), you can consider finding temperature and humidity controlled wine storage, like Extra Space Storage or one of these storage locations in the USA. You could also contact your local wine bottle shop to see if they have recommendations for wine storage.

Manage Your Wine Inventory

Make a Spreadsheet or Use a Wine Tracking App 

An easy, inexpensive way to do this is with a template from Google Sheets or Excel. 

We prefer to manage our wine collection with Cellar Tracker, an online cellar management tool. We like this tool because these folks have truly thought of almost everything you would want or need to track on your wine, including the location and shelf where your wine is stored in your wine cabinet or off-site storage. The crowd-sourced wine prices are also helpful for those interested in monitoring the auction price of their wine or just to see others’ tasting notes as wines age in their cellars.  

Establish A Drinking Schedule As You Accumulate Bottles

There are pitfalls you may encounter as your wine collection grows. One issue that collectors run into is keeping wine for a special occasion only to find that the wine is bad.

For this reason, if you have a growing wine collection, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the drinkability window for your wines. We use information on drinking windows available online (on apps and websites like Cellar Tracker) as general rules of thumb, though these drinking windows are not an exact science.  

Know Your Wine’s Value

There are a number of wine buyers online who will evaluate the value of your wine for free, and follow up with you in case you have an interest in selling some bottles.  

For those interested in researching wine prices on your own, we like Wine Searcher and Cellar Tracker for determining the value of the wine.  

Wine Searcher will tell you what your wine is selling for near you. Let’s say you just drank a bottle of 2003 Auslese Riesling, purchased in 2010. You can go to Wine Searcher and find what that bottle sells for today in case you want to stock up on some more for the future. Cellar Tracker has a feature that allows you to see what wines like yours have sold for at recent auctions.

Insure Your Wine

Wine is typically not covered by homeowner insurance policies. The simplest reason reason is that processes and procedures to underwrite an annual policy for $100 to $300 are not profitable for home insurance companies.

Many wine lovers may forego purchasing a wine insurance policy as they prefer to self-insure (meaning, if their wine collection were to flood or the air conditioning fail, they would accept the risk that their collection could be lost).

If your wine collection grows and you have an interest in insuring your wine, understand that “blanket” wine insurance costs about 50 cents per $100. So if your wine collection is 500 bottles, that works out to be about $250 per year. Most of these wine insurers will insure individual bottles up to $1000 in value.  Cellar Tracker has a helpful article on wine insurance if you want to learn more.

In Conclusion

While many wines today are designed for immediate consumption, wine enthusiasts and collectors may want to start their own collection to meet one or more personal objectives.

When starting a collection, think about who will consume the wine and when, and whether you intend to consume all the wine or sell some or all of it at auction. Make sure your wine collection is stored correctly and that you have some mechanism for tracking your purchases.

We hope that your wine collection will provide fun and value for years to come with just a little planning up front.

Cheers!

The World of Wine Maps

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Anyone who has been to a wine shop or tasting is likely familiar with wine maps (and wine lovers’ affinity for them). In wine shops, you’ll see them on display, on shelf talkers, and as handouts.

So, why all the maps? In today’s blog, we explain why wine maps are so beloved to wine enthusiasts. We’ll also share where you can get great wine maps of your own.

Whether you want a wine map for wine education, as home decor, or to plan a trip, we’ve got the 411 on all the best wine maps!

Before we continue with our recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

Why All The Wine Maps?

Wine is an agricultural product. With the label on the bottle indicating origin, a bottle of wine invokes a sense of place. Lovers of wine often have a case of wanderlust, and poring over wine maps (as you enjoy a glass of wine from that region) can help satisfy that passion for travel. Or, if you’ve already done a great deal of traveling in wine country, wine maps can take you back to the terraced vineyards of the rustic Rhone Valley or the rolling hills of Saint-Émilion in Bordeaux.

More so than other agricultural products (there are no asparagus maps, for example), wines carry the characteristics of the places they are grown in their taste, color, and aroma. Wine reflects the quality of the soil and the sunlight of its region, as well as the particular details of elevation and climate. You can learn a lot about a wine by studying the map of where it is grown.

Wine students and enthusiasts also have an interest in learning the geographic areas that are in scope of AOCs or appellations.

Do I Need A Wine Map?

You certainly don’t need a wine map to enjoy wine, but it can definitely be an entertaining accompaniment to your evening pour. In fact, many sommeliers and wine collectors have larger collections of wine books and maps than they do of wine!

It’s important to know, though, when buying a wine map, that many wine maps online and in print will have errors. People copy from each other and errors proliferate (as is so common on the internet!). We can direct you towards the most reputable wine map makers, but remember that even the best maps may have typos and errors, as they are all made by humans.

What Are the Different Purposes for Wine Maps?

Wine maps are used in a variety of purposes and by different types of users. Consider the following:

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  • Wine Maps for the Wine Trade. These maps tend to focus on on geography, individual vineyards, geology, water, proximity to bodies of water and mountains or valleys (elevation), regulation aspects like the delimitation lines for an AOC or appellation (e.g. what land is in or out of scope for labeling purposes).

  • Wine Maps for Decorating. Wine maps are very colorful and make beautiful framed art for dining rooms, living rooms, and kitchens. Perfect decor for wine lovers!

  • Wine Maps for Wine Pros. Wine pros, who may use maps for educating others about wine, tend to rely on DeLong maps or The World Atlas of Wine (more on those below!).

  • Antique Wine Maps. Antique wine maps, great for collectors, can be found on eBay or Etsy.

  • Wine Maps for Travel Planning. Tourist wine maps can be found on the websites of wineries in the region you plan to visit (we’ve also listed a few below!).

What Are The Best Wine Maps?

Wine lovers and serious students of wine will routinely point to the first two resources we list here as the best wine maps. We also share a great comprehensive set of wine maps plus a few examples of good wine maps for planning a visit to wine country.

Best Wine Map for Wall Display

Steve De Long was an architect with a passion for wine. When he first started looking at wine maps in the early 2000s, he thought, “Well, that’s been done.” However, after digging deeper into the topic he found that a lot of wine maps were full of errors.  

What started as a side gig for Steve has turned into a full time small business dedicated to making limited production high-quality wine maps. When Steve got started, he didn’t realize what a demand there is for high quality wine maps. In fact, there’s been such demand for the maps that a few years ago counterfeiters made illegal and low-quality copies of his maps and sold them on Amazon! Thankfully, that’s not a problem today.  

Steve’s wine maps are made by painstakingly reviewing the governmental documents of various countries followed by tedious proofreading. Behind the scenes there’s also a lot of emailing to confirm content. Here’s one of France:

 
 

Steve’s maps are have become quite well-know. They’ve even been in movies (Patriot Day) as props!  Steve is currently working on a book about the history of food pairing.  

KnowWines is a proud Kickstarter contributor to his recent project, the Wine Maps of the World Essential Collection, coming out in July 2020. If you’re interested in learning more about Steve’s maps and his map-making process, check out more of his work.

Best Wine Maps in a Book

Recently updated in 2019 is the 2020 James Beard Award-Winning book The World Atlas In Wine, weighing in at almost 5 pounds and boasting over 400 pages. The first edition of this classic wine book came out in 1971, and each edition has grown along with the changes in the wine world. Eric Asimov of New York Times calls it “the single most important reference book on the shelf of any wine student.”

 
The World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition
By Johnson, Hugh, Robinson, Jancis
Buy on Amazon
 

In addition to 230 maps in the book, the book has been significantly updated since the 7th edition of six years ago. This video explains more about those updates:

 
 

Best Set of Maps for Wine Enthusiasts

Maps for enthusiasts are likely to be colorful and more geography based, with a focus on familiarizing wine fans with the general size of a given wine region and proximity to cities or other wine regions. Emphasis is placed on font size and just enough information to get the desired point apart.

This set of 24 wine maps by Wine Folly is a great collection of the world's major wine-producing countries and regions.  

 
 

Best Wine Maps for Travel Planning

Tourist wine maps, intended to travel along with you in a purse, carry-on, or backpack, are convenient additions to your wine country travels. They also make great collector’s items and serve as mementos of your trip.

Here’s a great travel map for Napa and Sonoma:

 
 

Here’s a travel-sized book of Virginia wine country maps:

 
 

And here is a Michelin guide to wine regions of France:

 
 

Other Places to Buy Wine Maps (or Get Them for Free!)

  • Bookstores in wine regions

  • Online retailers

  • AOC / Appellation office in wine region (cheap or free) or tourism offices (for example Napa Valley Vinters or St. Emilion Tourisme.

  • Some Wine Stores have maps available as part of in-store or online classes, or at special tasting events.

  • Educational bodies Like IWG or WSET provide wine maps for free or as part of a membership.

Wine Map Conclusion

Interest in maps is increasing along with consumer interest in knowing where food and drink comes from. This is also true about wine maps for wine enthusiasts.

The recent success of the SOMM movie series and food television in general has led to an increase in students in wine programs (such as WSET) and sommelier certifications. 

Currently, there are a number of maps available on the market intended for various audiences. We’re big fans of the Steve De Long maps as well as the World Atlas of Wine.  

We love that wine maps can make us feel well-traveled without ever leaving our living rooms!

Happy mapping!

How to Keep Wine Bottles Cold

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Welcome to summertime! The sun is bright, the breeze is warm, and you’re relaxing by the pool or on the patio with a nice crisp bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or a chilled bottle of Beaujolais. If you’re settling in for the evening, though, you’ll want to make sure you have something to keep that bottle cool, because nothing worse than a warm glass of wine when it’s already plenty warm outside! And yet, ice buckets aren’t always readily available at barbecues, pool parties, and picnics. There are times when you can’t run back and forth between the party and refrigerator (or maybe you just don’t want to!). In those cases, a wine chiller sleeve or iceless wine bottle chiller can keep wine cool while you enjoy a glass of wine or a bottle with friends.

Before we continue with our recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

What Are Wine Cooler Sleeves?

Wine cooler sleeves were invented to keep individual bottles of wine cold (or to chill down room-temperature wines) without using water. Wine cooler sleeves or iceless wine chillers are typically constructed in one of two following ways:

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  1. A plastic tube with gel ice packs inside the exterior plastic or vinyl sleeve, as in the VacuVin photo here.

  2. A double walled stainless steel or plastic container where air is used as the insulating layer between the two “walls.”

In restaurants, wines are typically kept cold in wine buckets. However, there are times when wine buckets, ice, and water are not handy (such as pool parties, the beach, or in a boat, where a wine bucket might tip over).

Wine cooler sleeves are also handy when you want to keep a bottle of wine cool but want the remove the label later to keep in a wine journal. Submerging the bottle in an ice bucket could damage the label, whereas the label should remain intact with the use of a wine cooler sleeve.

Do I Need A Wine Cooler Sleeve?

If you frequently drink wine at home and are close to your refrigerator or have an ice bucket, then you likely don’t need a wine cooler sleeve.  

If you’d like to enjoy chilled wine while camping, boating, or at a picnic after a hike, then you might want to purchase a wine cooler sleeve to keep your wine cool until you reach your drinking destination. No electrical cords required, and no messy drips from water or wet ice.  

The downside of some of these wine cooler sleeves or iceless wine chillers is that once they get to room temperature or warmer, they start to lose their “chilling” properties. Also, not all wine cooler sleeves are “puncture-proof” which means that if you accidentally stab the chiller with a knife or other sharp object, gel may ooze from the pack.  

Best Wine Chiller Sleeves

Since we enjoy the outdoors and sharing wine with friends on the go, we’ve purchased a few wine chiller sleeves over the years. Here are our six favorite wine chiller sleeves for keeping wines cold.

Le Creuset Wine Chiller Sleeve

This is a favorite because the outer nylon sleeve comes in several great colors, including pink, burgundy, and “flame!”

Pros:

The inner freezer gel packs are pierce-resistant. The chiller is lightweight and folds away easily when you’re not using it. It also happens to work great for soothing smashed fingers or bee stings - just slip your hand inside! This product can be used for countless summer picnics (and it comes with a five year warranty!).

Con:

The only con we have discovered is that this wine chiller sleeve only fits standard sized bottles.

Vacu Vin Rapid Ice Wine Cooler

This is our oldest wine chiller sleeve. We’ve had it for over ten years, and it’s still holding in there. This one is made in the Netherlands and comes at a great value. We also like the simple design on the outside.

Pros: 

This one comes at a great value, especially for its long-lasting qualities. It also has a fold-flat design so you can easily store when it’s not being used. Throw it in the freezer overnight and it is ready to go in the morning. It will chill the wine in just a few minutes.

Con: 

This one, too, only fits standard wine bottle sizes. However, they do make one for larger Champagne bottles (below).

Vacu Vin Rapid Ice Champagne Cooler

This Champagne bottle cooler has all the great qualities of the Vacu Vin Rapid Ice Wine Bottle Cooler, just sized for a champagne bottle. It comes in gold or platinum colors and features a spiral design and drawstring closure. The design would make a sweet addition to a romantic picnic.

Pros:

For the functionality of this champagne bootle cooler, we echo all of the same pros as the Vacu Vin Rapid Ice Wine Cooler: great value, high quality, and will keep your champagne chilled for quite a while.

Cons:

May be too large to properly hold and chill a standard size wine bottles, so if you plan to chill both Champagne and a bottle of Chenin Blanc, you might need two separate coolers.

Best Wine Cooler Sleeve for Gadget Lovers

We have reviewed YETI wine tumblers in the past and appreciate their durability and ability to keep a glass of wine cool. This is a similar product, but for a wine bottle. If you are looking for a gift for someone who loves rugged outdoor products like YETI, we recommend the Huski stainless steel wine cooler.  

Pros:

Wine cooler sleeves with gel packs may keep wine cool only an hour or so. This product will keep a bottle of wine cold for up to six hours, which makes it perfect for sipping wine during an outdoor concert or during a picnic after a long hike.

Cons: 

This wine cooler is pricier than simpler gel wine cooler sleeves. Also, not everyone likes the rugged outdoor look.


Best Wine Cooler Sleeve With Handle

If you like the Vacu Vin cooler but want a handle, then this wine cooler sleeve may meet your needs.  The freezable gel is built into the lining for a streamlined look on the inside and the outside.

Pros:

The zipper closure keeps your wine bottle secure and will help keep your drinks cold a bit longer. The PVC-and-BPA-free liner is easy to clean, and it comes in a plain black or fun polka-dotted style. Finally, this wine chiller sleeve has a narrow profile, but is still designed to hold both standard and champagne bottles.

Cons:

The handle may not be necessary if you plan to just throw the wine cooler into a picnic basket or backpack. But, it’s ideal if you’re just carrying a single bottle and a couple of glasses from the beach house down to the beach!

Best Double Walled Wine Bottle Chiller For Elegant Events

If you are looking for an ice-free wine bottle chiller that doesn’t look like it came from a camping store or grocery store aisle, then this double walled wine bottle chiller may work for you. It will keep your cold wine cold for about three hours.

Pros:

What we like about this iceless chiller is that you can easily see what wine is in to chill. This is a great feature if you’re having a wine party! Also, the elegant look and the stainless steel rim make this ideal for upscale parties or even outdoor weddings. Also, the design is large enough to accommodate both standard and champagne bottles.

Cons:

Keep in mind that with this bottle chiller, you will need to pre-chill your wine. But that may be worth your trouble for the elegant, high-end look.

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The Cool Down on Wine Cooler Sleeves

In most household settings, ice, a bucket, and some cold water will work fine for chilling and keeping wines cold in hot weather.  However, some wine enthusiasts may want to chill wines while in the outdoors without having to deal with ice. Wine cooler sleeves and iceless double walled wine coolers fit this need. 

Wether you need a budget wine sleeve or want a premium wine sleeve that will last for years, we provide a few fan favorite wine cooler sleeves to fit your various needs.  

Our Favorite Wine Pourers



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A wine pourer is simply a device that aids in the wine pouring process. It is also used to prevent drips on tables, to aerate wine, or to meter out a specified volume of wine into a glass. Wine pourers can also serve as decorative conversation makers, as they sometimes feature designs that are humorous, classy, or economical. In today’s blog, we’ll demonstrate how to pour wine, discuss whether or not you need a wine pourer at home, and share recommendations for our favorite wine pourers.

Before we continue with our recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

Introduction to Wine Pourers

When purchasing wine at a grocery store or at a wine bottle shop, you are likely to find a small display of wine pourers mixed in with other wine accessories. A wine pourer fulfills the three following needs:

  1. They serve as an aid for nervous or infrequent hosts or servers to prevent drips on fancy white tablecloths, fancy wood tables, and similar surfaces.

  2. In a serving room or restaurant, they serve as a means of measuring out 1 ounce or 2 ounce pours.

  3. They’re fun conversation starters!

How to Pour Wine (Without a Wine Pourer)

When a sommelier serves wine in a restaurant, you may notice that they hold the bottle in their right and with the label facing the guest. As they pour, they are careful to make sure that the wine bottle rim and neck don’t touch the wine glass. They will fill the wine glass about 1/3 full, and just before pulling the bottle away, they’ll give the bottle a quick quarter turn with their wrist and tilt it upward to prevent drips. If a drip starts to form on the rim of the bottle, they quickly wipe it with a white serviette (napkin).

Prefer a visual? At 1:50 in this video, the sommelier demonstrates the “twist and tilt” method:

 
 

Do I Need a Wine Pourer?

No, most wine enthusiasts don’t need a wine pourer.  After a little practice, it is easy to pour and do a slight twist, as in the video shown above.

However, we do recognize that there are some instances in hosts or servers would like a wine pouring devices to prevent drips on nice surfaces (such as a tablecloth or fancy table), especially in a large group setting like a party or wedding. It may also just ease your mind to have a pourer on hand for occasional guests and spontaneous gatherings. In other words: you don’t need a wine pourer, but it can’t hurt to have one around!

Our Favorite Wine Pourers

Over the years, we have accumulated a mix of wine pourers, most of them displaying the brand of the wineries and wine clubs where we acquired them. While we don’t frequently use a wine pourer, we can appreciate that many wine enthusiasts do enjoy using them.

Here, we share some popular wine pourers. As always, we highly recommend reusable wine accessories when they’re available, so as to reduce landfill waste.

The Classic Wine Disc

This classic, easy-to-use wine disk is frequently encountered in wine tasting rooms and fast casual dining establishments. These simple mylar discs are small, portable, and roll up neatly into the neck of a wine bottle for a stress-free pour. They’re a trusted brand that’s also affordable. A great way to train yourself to pour wine without drips!

 
 

The Aerator Wine Pourer

This wine pourer does double duty as both wine pourer and wine aerator. If you want to give your glass of wine a fuller bouquet or a smoother finish (without waiting to let it aerate in a decanter), a wine aerator is a great option. And this one will help prevent spills, too! This simple tool will infuse your wine with oxygen and keep your tablecloth stain-free. Plus, its elegant design makes it a great addition to any dinner party. It also makes a lovely hostess gift.

 
 

The Measured Wine Pourer

In wine tasting rooms, wine pourers may be required by law to dispense wine in 1 or 2 ounce increments. Since wine tasting rooms employ people with wide ranges of abilities, some will be able to gauge these volumes more successful than others. In some cases, a measured wine pourer can aid in getting that just-right pour. For at home use, these might come in handy for pouring wine at a wedding or large party. They can be used to dispense liquor for making mixed drinks (you may have seen them on the top of liquor bottles at bars).

 
 

The Whimsical Wine Pourer

Last but not least, wine pourers can be fun! Some wineries use whimsical or animal-themed wine pourers for a bit of variety and fun conversation. Conversation starters are never a bad idea for dinner parties. These shark-themed wine pourers, in a durable, shiny steel alloy, would be especially perfect for a pool party or a Shark Week celebration! This one also has a built-in aerator. Or, have a shark-loving friend who also enjoys wine? Here’s the perfect gift!

 
 

Wine Pourer Summary

There are a variety of wine pourers on the market for those desiring some assistance in wine pouring or looking for a fun conversation starter. In some cases, wine pourers are needed to ensure that a group of wine pourers with various expertise pour the same amount of wine across tasters and drinkers.  

Wine pourers are an accessory the average wine enthusiast can live without. However, if you are looking for one for a specific application (or as a gift!), we hope you enjoyed our recommendations!

Cheers!








How to Sell Wine Online

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Have a big wine collection you need to pare down? We know, most people want to hold onto their wines (that’s the point of collecting, after all), but there are circumstances when selling some of your bottles could be appealing.

For example, maybe you inherited a relative’s wine collection and it’s more than you want or have room for. Maybe you purchased an abundance of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ten years ago and now your tastes have changed. Or maybe you no longer drink wine and are looking to sell as much as possible.

As wine enthusiasts, KnowWines can report that, yes, you can sell your wine legally in the United States through an auction house.  These auction houses do both in-person and online auctions. In fact, in April 2020 we sold 36 bottles of wine online, and in today’s blog we’d like to share our experience and answer any questions you have about how to sell wine online.

A quick note, though, before we continue. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and when we recommend products for sale on Amazon, we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

Is My Old Wine Worth Selling?

Not all wine sells well in auction well.  Most auction houses sell wines that are popular with collectors.

If you have no clue about the value, we recommend doing a little online research at Cellar Tracker, a website and database that makes it easy to find information on your wine. Simply type in the name of your wine and select the vintage (wine speak for production year).  When you get to the page for your wine, you will find the following information:

  • Production Region

  • My Value (a value that collectors can add if desired)

  • Community Average Value (a value that platform users place on the wine)

  • Auction (the price this wine is fetching at auction)

  • Drink Between Years (the years that wine community members predict as the best drinking window)

No time for research? Simply list your wines in a spreadsheet, indicating the name of the winery, name of the wine, and the year of production. In our case, we exported a file from CellarTracker and sent it to the auction house, indicating we wished to sell 36 bottles of wine from Napa Valley in anticipation of downsizing our home.  

Is It Legal to Sell Wine Online?

Regulations vary from state to state, but in general, you need to sell your wine online through a licensed auction house. As we were in the process of downsizing to a smaller home, we contacted Leland Little, a wine auction house that just happens to be local to us in Durham, North Carolina.

There are several wine auction houses in the United States. If you have an especially large collection of fine wines, you will want to shop around to at least three auction houses for estimates before making a commitment.

We had a fairly small number of wines to sell, so we enjoyed working with a local seller.  

Things to Consider Before Selling Your Wine at Auction

What kinds of wines sell at auction?

The following types of wines typically sell well at fine wine auctions:

  • Vintage Champagne

  • White Burgundy

  • Red Burgundy

  • Fine Riesling from Germany

  • Classified Bordeaux wines

  • Sauternes

  • Cult Cabernet Sauvignon

  • Barolo

Is my wine bad?

Wine that is in bad condition won’t sell. It is difficult to tell by looking at the outside of the bottle if the wine could be bad (generally, you have to open the bottle and then evaluate the wine for flaws). However, there are some tell-tell signs that would cause a wine auction house not to sell a wine on your behalf:

  • The cork is sticking out of the bottle.

  • The cork is sunken into the bottle.

  • The label is in poor condition.

  • The ullage (amount of wine in the neck) is low.

Is my wine authentic?

Wine Auction houses have their own procedures for verifying the authenticity of the wine. However, if you have original sales receipts or packaging from the wine club shipment, those things are helpful to the auction house and buyer (especially in the case of older and rare wines).

How Do I Get my Wine to the Auction House?

Once you have provided a list of wines to the auction house and have agreed on which wines you will sell and the commission the auction house will get, the next step is to prepare your wines for travel to the auction house.

If you are local to the auction house, a representative from the auction house may come to your home to box up the wines. Typically this representative will have some wine boxes like the ones below to pack up your wines.

If you are working with a wine auction house that asks you to ship the wine, they may provide similar boxes. Otherwise, you can purchase these boxes and inserts for shipping.

 
 

How Does The Wine Auction Work?

The auction house will let you know the approximate date of the auction and the bidding process. Typically the auction happens at a location where people can attend in person, and online bidding happens concurrently. 

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Prior to the auction, your wines (and wines of your fellow sellers) are featured on social media, in newsletters, and through other promotional channels to get the word out about an upcoming auction. These promotions may occur anywhere from one month or one week prior to the auction.

The auction house will advise which wines should be sold individually, which should be sold as a pair or set, and which should be presented as a vertical (wines from the same winery/chateau but from sequential years). These decisions are based upon the experience of the seller and their understanding of what people buy. In our experience, we have sold wines as individual bottles, as a set of three identical bottles, and as a vertical of three or five wines (e.g. 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008).

Each auction house sells a little differently. However, there are similar patterns. The auction may start with vintage Champagne, then go to white Burgundy, and then to collectible German Rieslings. From there, they may go to red Burgundy and Bordeaux before switching over to collectible New World wines (e.g. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon)

Each wine (or set of wines by one seller) is presented. If the auction is online, you can watch each wine get bid on and sold! Exciting stuff for wine enthusiasts!

How Do I Get Paid for My Wine?

How (and when!) you get paid for selling your wine online is a key detail! In our experience, it has been a fairly quick and easy process.

After the conclusion of the auction, you will get an email outlining either your sales or the entire auction catalog and the sales price of each wine at auction. Within a couple of weeks you typically receive and email with a list of your wines and their selling price, as well as an indication of when your payment is coming. Within 30 days or so of the auction, you will receive a check (or direct deposit) for the amount owed you, minus any pre-agreed-upon commission.  

Selling Your Wine Online: The Wrap-Up

If you want to sell all or part of your wine collection, selling it through a licensed auction house is your best bet.

Start by making a catalog of your wines (including relevant information like its vintage and production region), and then locate at least three reputable fine wine auction houses to ask for estimates.

Once you’ve settled on a wine auction house, arrange for your wine to be picked up or shipped, and then sit back and watch the auction happen (have a glass of wine while you’re at it!).

Happy auctioning!

Cheers!

Wine Stoppers: Drawer Clutter or Useful Tool?

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More often than not, we prefer to use the “free” approach to resealing a wine bottle: re-using the cork. But sometimes the cork gets damaged when you are removing it with a corkscrew. Unless you finish the entire bottle of wine within a few hours, you’ll need some way of closing up the bottle to extend its life after opening. This is where a wine stopper comes in handy. There are a quite a few wine bottle stoppers on the market - so many, in fact, that it can be overwhelming. Here, we’ll share a few of our favorites wine stoppers and tell you what we appreciate about each one.

Before we continue with our recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

How to Get That “Free Wine Stopper” Back In The Bottle

Success! You’ve removed the cork from the bottle intact and it looks like it is sturdy enough to re-use.  Here are the quick steps for re-inserting the cork when your drinking session concludes.

  • Set the wine bottle on a solid surface, like a table or deck railing.

  • Wipe the cork with a napkin to remove any debris (like a small hanging piece of cork).

  • Orient the cork into the same direction as it came out of the bottle (the portion that was in the bottle is what is should be going back into the bottle).

  • Ease the cork into the bottle by angling the cork so that a portion is inside the bottle and a portion is resting on the lip of the bottle

  • Twist and push down on the cork at the same time.

  • Insert the cork about halfway into the bottle.

If you break the cork while re-inserting it, you can either choose to push the cork portion into the bottle and insert a bottle stopper OR use one of these handy tools to extract the cork from the bottle. 

 
 

Do I Need a Wine Stopper?

If you generally drink box wine or wine with a screw cap, then you really don’t need a wine stopper. If you tend to drink wine with a cork, you can re-use the cork that came with the bottle. However, it is sometimes difficult to get the wine cork back into the bottle. In the event that this happens to you, having a spare wine stopper around will come in handy. It’s also good to have one as a backup plan in case the cork falls apart while you are removing it from the bottle.  

Will a Wine Stopper Prevent My Wine From Going Bad?

Great question!

If a bottle of wine is open too long, let’s say overnight, the wine might start to go bad. The wine will not hurt you, it will simply taste less pleasant. 

Wine stoppers, regardless of type, primarily serve to minimize the amount of oxygen entering the bottle after the wine bottle is open (as exposure to too much oxygen will cause the wine to lose flavor and aroma). Most wine stoppers will not stop wine from coming out of the bottle if you lay it on its side in a refrigerator or cabinet. Some wine bottle stoppers, like the Repour Wine Saver , are designed to absorb oxygen when one desires to savor an expensive wine over weeks or months.

Where Can I Buy Wine Bottle Stoppers?

Wine bottle stoppers of all varieties can be purchased at wine bottle shops, gift shops, online, and in big box stores.  Below, we share some of our favorite options.

Nine Best Wine Stoppers by Type

Want to have a wine stopper on hand for those times when the original cork fails its intended purpose? Have a festive occasion on the horizon for which a decorative wine stopper would be the perfect gift? There are plenty of wine stoppers available to fill all sorts of wine bottle closure niches. 

Repour

This wine stopper type is good for wine lovers who occasionally splurge on higher-priced wines (say, $30 or higher) and want to savor the wine over several days, weeks, or months. The Repour is also great for wine bottle shops that pour premium or luxury wines over a period of days. Check our in-depth report on Repour here.

 
 

Best Unique Wine Stopper

There’s an endless supply of unique wine stoppers available online. We like this one because it combines our love of gardening and a little tongue-in-cheek humor about “opening up the tap.”

 
 

Best Personalized Wine Bottle Stopper

This is a great option if you live with roommates who also drink wine and need a personalized wine bottle stopper to identify wine among roommates. It also makes an inexpensive but thoughtful gift for any wine-loving friend!

 
 

Best Decorative Wine Stopper

Decorative wine stoppers are really a personal design preference. However, this handmade Italian made Murano glass bottle stopper will delight most wine lovers.  

 
 

Best Vacuum Wine Stopper

The vacuum wine stopper is good for wine enthusiasts who want to savor a bottle of wine over several days, but don’t want to make an investment in the Repour.  This is a good way to lengthen the drinking window of everyday wines.

 
 

Best Champagne Bottle Stopper

Most wine stoppers won’t work well in Champagne bottles. These specially designed sparkling wine bottle stoppers will increase the likelihood that any leftover Champagne will taste great the next day (or two!). That’s something to celebrate!

 
 

Best Cute Unisex Wine Stopper

These adorable wine stoppers will never ‘desert’ you. You’ll be glad you pricked these cacti!

 
 

Best Wine Stopper for Cat Lovers

Cats + wine = a timeless pairing. And this wine stopper tells it like it is. Curious cats will get into pretty much anything!

 
 

Best Game of Thrones Wine Stopper

Fans of the book series and HBO blockbuster will appreciate these well-crafted Game of Thrones wine stoppers designed to reflect the six sigils of the GoT houses. GoT-themed wine party, anyone?

 
 

Wine Stopper Wrap-Up

We prefer to re-use the cork that the wine came with to store any leftover wine under $30.  

If we plan on drinking fine wine, we use the Repour wine stopper so that we can enjoy the wine over several evenings and with different foods. If we don’t have a Repour stopper handy we use the Vacu Vin.  

If we damage the cork on a sub $30 bottle of wine, we keep on hand a few different bottle stoppers to close up the open wine bottle.  We’ve accumulated a few different types of wine stoppers, including some that are decorative and unique. The options out there today are endless!

Happy sipping (and saving!).

Cheers!

Best Hygrometers for Wine Cellars

So, you’ve taken the plunge and purchased a wine cooler. You’ve even started to fill it with wines you’d like to age. Or maybe you’ve purchased a home that has a wine cellar and don’t know the first thing about maintaining it.  Or perhaps you’ve saved up for years and are converting an unfinished basement space to a wine cellar. First, congratulations! Collecting wine is a wonderful and rewarding pastime. Second, how much do you know about humidity? We’re asking because humidity is pretty important when it comes to aging wine. Here are some questions you should be asking yourself about your wine cooler or wine cellar:

  • What is the current humidity and how do I measure it?

  • Is the current humidity level good for my wines? 

  • How do I monitor and adjust wine cellar humidity?

In today’s blog, we discuss the very best in hygrometers, the tool you’ll need for measuring humidity in your wine cellar. We also give you a mini-course in wine cellar humidity and how to control it so that your are creating the best possible space for your wines.

Before we continue with our recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

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What is a Hygrometer?

A hygrometer is a device that measures relative humidity in an enclosed space (such as a room, a wine cooler, a greenhouse, or a cigar humidor) or in a sample (as in a soil sample coming from a farm or vineyard).

The first crude hygrometer was invented by Leonardo da Vinci in the 1400s. These crude devices often comprised of a weight and an absorptive substance, like a sea sponge or a piece of wool!

What Does a Hygrometer Do?

A hygrometer measures the amount of water vapor in a given space, typically in a room or a confined space like a wine cooler. Since the amount of moisture air can hold varies by temperature, most hygrometers measure and display readings for both humidity and temperature.  

A hygrometer will not take action to fix anything that might be wrong with the humidity in your wine refrigerator. It simply provides you with an accurate reading, and from that, you can take measures to increase or decrease humidity. 

Do I Need a Hygrometer?

If you don’t have a space to store wine (such as a closet, wine refrigerator, or pantry), then you don’t need a hygrometer.

If you have a wine refrigerator or maturation cabinet like the EuroCave, it already has a temperature and humidity digital display, so you won’t need one.

If you have a closet, basement or wine cellar for storing wine, then purchasing a hygrometer is a good investment. It will enable you to measure the humidity in the enclosed space and thus, to correct too-high or too-dry conditions.

The Best Hygrometers on the Market

Best Analog Hygrometer for Wine Cellars or Wine Cabinet

This analog hygrometer for wine cellars or a wine cabinet is both functional and attractive. The wood case, ivory-colored dial, and elegant illustration of grapevines will add a bit of style to your wine storage space.

 
 

Best Digital Hygrometer for Wine Cellars or Wine Cabinet

This digital hygrometer is affordable, accurate, and conveniently sized for smaller spaces. It also has three mounting options: a tabletop stand, a magnetic backing, and a hole for hanging from the ceiling or wall.

 
 

Best Smart Hygrometer for Wine Cellars or Wine Cabinet

This smart, wireless hygrometer is simple and attractive by design. Also, if there’s a problem with the humidity in your wine cabinet, it will push a Bluetooth notification to your device to let you know.

 
 

Best Small and Inexpensive Hygrometer for Wine Cellars

This mini hygrometer fits any budget and is small enough to be inconspicuous, even in small spaces. The digital display makes it simple to instantly gauge the humidity of your wine cellar.

 
 

How to Calibrate a Hygrometer

If your hygrometer is not giving you the reading you expected, or if you inherited an old hygrometer and aren’t sure it’s accurate, you can calibrate it with one of these kits.

 
 

Alternatively, you can calibrate your hygrometer using a saturated salt calibration. It’s very inexpensive, requiring only a Ziploc bag, a lid from a water bottle or a bottle of orange juice, and some table salt. When following the saturated salt calibration, make sure to keep some distance from the salty solution and your hygrometer so that you don’t damage the hygrometer. 

Here’s a step by step video on how to calibrate a hygrometer from cigar enthusiasts (the process is the same for calibrating wine hygrometers).

 
 

How to Increase Humidity in Wine Cellar

Too little humidity in your wine cellar can be a problem if you live in a dry, arid region like the desert of the Southwestern United States.  Too little humidity could also be a seasonal challenge in places like the upper midwest, where spring, summer, and fall might be humid enough, but winter humidity can fall to 20% or so since the cold air can’t hold too much water vapor.

If you are in a dry area or have seasonal fluctuations in humidity, you may want to consider getting a humidity tray, like the kind people use who grow orchids and bonsai trees during the cold winter months. You will need to select a tray like this one that fits inside your wine cabinet or cellar. To use, simply fill the tray with charcoal, river rocks, and a little water.  Monitor the humidity in your wine cellar every three days or so.  If it goes up too high, simply remove water. If the humidity is still too low, simply add a little more water to the tray.  

 
 

How to Decrease Humidity in Wine Cellar

Too much humidity in a wine cellar may stimulate the growth of mold and could cause the labels on your wine bottles to mold or get wrinkly. If you suspect too much humidity, first inspect your wine cabinet or cellar for any standing water in the corners or on the floor.  Wipe up any excess moisture with a towel and fix any drainage issues the unit or room might have due to blockage of any tubes or a unit not being level on the floor. If, after a thorough inspection, you are still concerned about the amount of moisture, purchase some DampRid at your local home improvement store or online.

 
 

Hygrometer Wrap-Up

Hygrometers have been used for centuries to measure and monitor humidity in confined spaces.  The ideal humidity for a wine cellar is between 50 and 70% (see the KnowWines chart below for a quick guide to ideal humidity!).

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You don’t need a hygrometer if you store just a few wine bottles in your pantry.  If your wine refrigerator has a digital humidity display you also don’t need a hygrometer.

If you have a wine cabinet or walk-in wine cellar that feels either too moist or too dry, purchasing a hygrometer and checking and monitoring the humidity is a great place to start troubleshooting.  

Hygrometers are available in analog, digital, and “smart” versions.  Smart versions connect to devices such as iPads or smartphones to enable monitoring.

If your humidity is too high, remedy the situation by absorbing excess water with a towel and absorptive material like DampRid.  If the humidity is too low, use a tray filled with water to add moisture to the enclosed space.

And when you have the humidity in your wine cellar all figured out, just relax and enjoy your wine!

Cheers!

The Uline UnderCounter Refrigerator

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If you enjoy having a wide variety of beverages on hand, including wine, beer, sparkling water, sodas, and spirits, an under-counter refrigerator is a great, space-saving way to keep your beverages cool so that they’re ready when you want them.

The U-Line Built-In Beverage Center is a great option. This undercounter refrigerator is made right here in the United States. We’ve had one in our basement for seven years and have had great success with it! In today’s blog, we’d love to share what’s so great about the U-Line refrigerator as well as a few tips for installation and maintenance.

Before we continue with our recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

Do I Need an Undercounter Refrigerator?

Undercounter refrigerators were invented at a time when many people entertained from home.  These beverage centers were designed to accommodate a wide variety of beverages as a true entertainment beverage center.

If you entertain often and need several cold beverages on hand at one time, or if you just like the idea of keeping your beverages separate from food in your regular refrigerator, you might consider getting an undercounter refrigerator. 

A few benefits of undercounter refrigerators:

  • Many have attractive, “tucked away” designs that fit beautifully into your kitchen aesthetic.

  • They save space in your regular refrigerator (especially ideal if your regular refrigerator is a smaller, counter-depth style).

  • Undercounter beverages are great for keeping beverages cool and visible. 

  • They can be locked, an ideal feature for households where parents want to have a cool alcoholic beverage available without offering open access to teens or younger adults.

This type of undercounter refrigerator should not be confused with a wine maturation cabinet.  A wine cabinet is designed to keep wine stored at about 55 degrees F and with about 60% humidity. 

Introducing the Uline Undercounter Beverage Center

At KnowWines, we’ve had a U-Line refrigerator for over seven years. Ours, like the one featured here, has two pull-out shelves for wine or spirits and two glass shelves for storing other beverages or snacks (see photo above). There’s also a small space on the bottom of the unit for storing additional beverages or small plastic containers.

The U-Line Undercounter Beverage Center is designed to sit under a counter as a built-in unit, although the unit will have some space to the left, right, and behind to allow for air circulation.

The U-Line undercounter refrigerator is 23 5/8 wide and 34.5 tall. It is made for a 24" cutout.

The refrigerator has a compressor for the cooling system.  We’ve written previously on our preference for compressors versus thermoelectric units in wine refrigerators.

U-Line Refrigerators: Made in the USA!

If you’ve been following KnowWines for a while, you know that we love to feature made-in-the-USA products (like the Ponderosa Wine Racks by Wine Racks America!) Similarly, we love that the U-Line Beverage Center is designed, engineered, and made in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.  

The U-line company was started in 1962.  U-Line was the first American company to make undercounter freezers, wine coolers, and beverage centers. In the beginning, U-Line founder Henry Uihlein, Sr. sold undercounter freezer units door to door! Their production has been based in the United States since day one, and remains there today.

U-Line Beverage Center Refrigerator: Warranty

The U-Line Beverage Center is a great product for undercounter storage, but it isn’t a small purchase. That’s why the warranty they offer is a nice bonus. Components of their undercounter refrigerator are covered by a one year, two years, and five-year warranty. 

If you purchase a premium undercounter refrigerator like the U-Line, you could also consider contacting your credit card provider to see if they offer an additional warranty for free. For example, a Delta Reserve credit card adds another year to the one-year limited warranty for no additional cost.

If you have questions and want to talk to a sales or service team member, U-Line does have a dedicated service and parts phone line open during normal business hours.  

U-Line Beverage Center: Installation

When your U-Line refrigerator unit arrives, have the delivery person set the refrigerator as close to the final location as possible (the unit weighs 136 lbs!). It is possible to install two units side by side, but keep at least ¼ “ between the units so that the doors can swing freely and not bump into each other. The refrigerator comes with an anti-tip bracket in case you are installing the item in an area prone to tipping (such as a boat, RV, or tour bus). You will need a level for installation, to make sure that the unit is sitting squarely on the floor. You’ll adjust the feet as necessary for a good door swing. The door can be installed for left or right opening.

 
 

The U-Line Beverage Center Refrigerator: Our Personal Review

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Overall, we love U-Line Beverage Center. We’ve enjoyed the unit for over seven years for the following reasons:

  • The U-Line unit is quiet when running.

  • Durability is great. We’ve had only one issue in seven years and it was easy to fix.

  • The undercounter refrigerator cools down to 34 degrees F to keep beverages nice and cold (versus 40 degrees F in a typical refrigerator).

  • Construction is robust, consisting of stainless steel and heavy glass.

  • Replacement parts are very easy to order if you need them as the unit ages.

What are some downsides?

  • The second sliding drawer does not have enough clearance to store “fatter” bottles like Champagne or Burgundy bottles, so you will need to store them in the top drawer (not really an issue unless you have several bottles of Champagne). The sliding drawers are perfect for standard Bordeaux bottles or slim Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc bottles.

  • In our experience, a refrigerator you don’t use every single day may have a greater likelihood of developing odors (in the case of a leaky growler, for example). A container of baking soda tucked into the back of the refrigerator is an easy fix!

 
 

The U-Line: Our Favorite Made-in-the-USA Beverage Refrigerator

If you are looking for an all-purpose undercounter refrigerator as a means of storing drinks separately from your kitchen refrigerator, then this unit might be for you.  

When purchasing one of these undercounter refrigerators, keep in mind that the main purpose of the unit to keep beverages cold. It is not intended for aging wine. If you want to age wine, check out our article on a great wine cabinet.

The U-Line unit is heavy but easy to install. If you spill something inside, it is easy to clean up with a washcloth.  

The made-in-the-USA U-Line Beverage Center undercounter refrigerator holds up well for many years (unlike many appliances these days!). If you decide the make the purchase, we hope you enjoy yours as much as we’ve enjoyed ours!

Cheers!

All About Wine Glass Racks

Introducing Wine Glass Racks

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If you are looking into wine glass racks, we’re guessing that you’re interested in the purchase for one of two reasons:

1) You have inadequate shelf space in a small home or kitchen and need creative ways to store those extra wine glasses.

2) You have a magnificent wine glassware collection and you would like to showcase your love for stemware in a tasteful but clearly visible display.

Before we continue with our recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

Do I need a wine glass rack?

If you have ample in-cabinet storage in your kitchen or unconditioned storage elsewhere in the home, then you may not need a wine glass rack for storing your stemware. If this is the case, be sure to read our blog on how to properly store your wine glasses.

However, if you don’t have in-cabinet space for storing wine glasses, or you want to showcase wine glasses in your kitchen, bar, or even a repurposed armoire, then wine glass racks are a great solution to storing wine glasses.  

What types of wine glass racks are there?

Different types of wine glass rack designs are generally dependent upon the intended location for installation. Wine glass racks can be installed in any of the following locations:

  • Ceiling-mounted

  • Wall-mounted

  • Under the cabinet

  • Free-standing counter-top or table-top unit

  • In an armoire, bookcase, or pantry

What types of materials are wine glass racks made of?

Just as there are many types of wine glass racks, there are also several materials from which wine glass racks are made. Stemware glass racks can be made from metal, wood, composite wood, glass, plastic, and reclaimed architectural elements like pallets.  If the wine glass rack is made out of metal or wood, frequently there is more than one finish available from the manufacturer so that the rack will fit in with a variety of aesthetics.  

How Do I Select the Right Wine Glass Rack?

Select a Location

While under the counter is a popular option, consider some other spaces before purchasing a wine glass rack. Think about how often you use the space where you’re considering putting a wine rack. Is this spot easy to access when you’re entertaining guests? Do you want to showcase your glassware, or do you simply need an out-of-the-way place to store it?

Consider Type and Number of Glasses

Consider the diversity of glasses you own or may own in the future.  Are you just beginning to purchase wine glasses or do you already have a collection?  If you’re single or live with just one other person, a smaller wine glass rack may work just fine. If you have a bar in your basement or entertain frequently, you will want to consider a wine glass rack that will store 18 or more glasses. 

Most wine glasses have a fairly thin base - if you have wine glasses with “fatter” base you may find that these don’t fit well into some wine racks.   

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Take a Measurement

After you’ve decided where you want your wine rack to go, measure the space available. Consider not only the width and depth of space but also the height.  

You’ll also want to measure your wine glasses. Consider how much space each glass takes in diameter. Some specialty large-bowl wine glasses for Burgundy or Bordeaux take up more space than universal wine glasses.  

Make sure that there is enough space between glassware to store them a half-inch apart. When glasses are stored too close together, vibrations can damage your glassware (or just make an annoying noise).

When taking your measurements, you should also consider if there are pets or children who could bump/break glasses by accident as they are passing by. Hold up your favorite glass under the counter and see if your cat can safely pass under it (no, we don’t love cats on our countertops either, but we all know they get up there when we’re gone!). You may also want to consider if an under-counter wine glass rack will reduce your counter space.

The Best Under-Counter Wine Glass Rack

The simple, clean design of this under-counter wine rack is perfect for today’s modern kitchens. The rack is easy to install and holds up to 18 wine glasses (it will also hold champagne flutes or martini glasses).

 
 

The Best Hanging Wine Glass Rack

When selecting a wine glass rack that hangs from the ceiling, make sure to measure how far from the ceiling that wine glasses will be.  You don’t want to look out across a room and stare directly into wine glasses instead of at your guests or partner.

We love the rustic elegance of this wine glass rack. And we love that it holds wine bottles in addition to wine glasses.

 
 

The Best Countertop Wine Glass Rack

If you are looking for a stemware storage rack that can sit on your counter or in your pantry, consider one of these. The spiral staircase effect is visually pleasing, and because glasses are stored vertically, they won’t take up too much counter space.

 
 

Wall Mounted Wine Glass Rack

One of the most flexible wine glass racks on the market are these wall mounted wine glass racks.  Like this one, many have both a framework for hanging wine glasses and a “bonus” bookshelf surface. This is a great space for storing wine books or even wine bottles! When you’re short on cabinet space, using wall space is an excellent way to get more storage.

 
 

The Best DIY Wine Glass Rack

On a budget or good with hand tools? You can make your own wine glass rack for under-counter storage. Check out this short video for instructions.

To make the wine glass rack, you can purchase your own T-Molding in a variety of lengths from your local hardware store and even online. We like this unfinished T Molding as you can stain or paint it to match your cabinet or armoire.  

 
 

Installing Your Wine Glass Rack

Most wine glass racks require screws (which are often included with purchase), a screwdriver (manual or electric), a tape measurer or ruler, and a pencil to mark where to insert the screws.

It’s a good idea to have extra screws on hand in case the screws provided with the rack are too shallow or too long. Nothing’s worse than installing a wine rack and puncturing through the cabinet. Or, even worse, using too short a screw, resulting in your wine glass rack falling down. No one wants to clean up that mess (or lose all that glassware!).

 
 

If you are installing a ceiling-mounted wine glass racks, you might want to have a few spare eye screws on hand in case the eye screw you receive is not sufficient.

 
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When installing a ceiling mounted wine glass rack, try to screw into the ceiling joists.  Alternatively, you can first install a decorative board on the ceiling and secure that to the ceiling joists. Then, you can hang the wine glass rack from the board.  

If you’ve no clue where the ceiling joists are, you can get a stud finder (these are also helpful for hanging up large paintings, shelves, mirrors, or other heavy objects).

 
 

Stemware Rack Wrap-Up

There are a variety of wine glass racks to store your stemware depending upon the space you have available and the number of glasses you need to accommodate.

Wine glass rack options range from DIY to higher-end, ceiling-mounted units. The most flexible type of wine glass storage is a wall-mounted wine glass rack, as it can be installed just about anywhere you need it.  

When installing any wine glass rack, make sure the screws you use to install it are long enough (and also not too long!). If the wine glass rack weighs over a couple pounds and is to be installed in drywall, we recommend that the screws are inserted such that they go into the studs (for a wall installation) and joists (for ceiling installation).  

When filling the glass wine rack with glassware, make sure that the glasses are about ½ inch apart so that they don’t chip and to prevent a ringing noise if there are any vibrations near the wine glass rack. Also, if you’re displaying your glassware for guests to see, be sure they’re nice and clean!

Cheers!

How to Store Wine Glasses

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Wine Glass Storage Rule of Thumb:

Before stashing that glass, make sure it is clean and polished!

Storing wet wine glasses is a sure recipe for mold or mildew, as well as unsightly water spots.

If you’re a wine lover, you probably have a collection of wine glasses. Some of them might be cheap glassware from big box stores (no shame in that!), some may be your grandmother’s crystal, and some may be fine wine glasses like Gabriel Glas. If you’ve recently acquired new wine glasses or have undergone a bit of kitchen reorganization, you may be wondering about the best way to store your variety of wine glasses.

In today’s blog, we’re offering tips and tricks for wine glass storage. Whether you’re storing cheap wine glasses, fine wine glasses, or something in between, we have the advice (and a few great products) to help.

Before we continue with our recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

How to Store Wine Glasses

It might not be obvious how how a wine glass should be stored, especially since you’ve probably seen friends or even restaurants store their wine glasses in different ways.

Below are our recommendations, based on type of glass.

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How to Store Expensive Wine Glasses

Fine, thin-rimmed glassware should be stored “bowl up.”

Storing wine glasses with the bowl up significantly reduces the chances of chipping the bowl when putting the glass away and retrieving it from the cupboard. High-end wine glasses are also designed with a robust base for storing upright. Storing on the bowl rim puts a lot of weight on the delicate structure of the rim. 

When storing fine wine glasses in this manner, keep them about ½ inch apart so that it’s easy to both store and use the glassware. Again, this reduces the likelihood of chipping the glass. It’s tempting to store glassware “yin/yang” style (one up, one down, in a repeating fashion). This might look nice in the cupboard, but it unfortunately increases the likelihood of tipping over a glass.

How to Store Cheap Wine Glasses

Cheap glassware can be stored on its rim, as they will typically have thicker rims than their fine china cousins.

Cheap wine glasses can also be stored in the boxes they came in.  If you didn’t keep the original box or the box they came in is too flimsy, you can purchase wine storage boxes online.

We prefer a banker’s box style since they can be reused for other purposes. Also, they are recyclable when they reach the end of their lives.  

 
 

When using cardboard boxes to store the wine glasses, remember to clean the glasses before and after storage. This will reduce the likelihood of the glassware taking on a musty box smell. 

Rotate Through Your Glassware 

Once you’re done storing your wine glasses - whether they are expensive or cheap - be sure to rotate through the individual glasses in a collection. This will prevent those two or three wine glasses you usually reach for from looking more worn than the others due to repeated dishwashing.

How to Prepare a Cupboard or Shelf for Wine Glass Storage

So we’ve solved the “up or down” debate. What about shelf lining - is that necessary?

We store our glassware on maple shelves in our cupboard. Since we don’t currently live in an earthquake-prone area, we’ve left the shelves unlined. However, if you do live in an earthquake-prone area or are especially clumsy (with our without wine), you might consider installing some simple shelf liner. Shelf liner will minimize the movement of wine glasses in an earthquake or and will minimize the accidental tipping that occurs with normal use.

These Gorilla Grip liners are smooth, come in several colors and sizes, and have a 10-year guarantee:

 
 

How to Store Wine Glasses in a Small Space

If you live in an apartment or a house with a small kitchen, your wine glasses may have to compete with plates, coffee cups, and small appliances in limited cupboard space.

Happily, there are many different types of under cabinet racks available in a variety of colors. These racks are perfect for small spaces. The only downside to these wine glass racks is that the wine glasses can be broken if you have active cats or children in the space.

 
 

If you only have limited cabinet space, but have another area where a free standing rack or ceiling mounted rack is a possibility, here are some solutions. These also might work if you want to keep the wine glasses out of reach of small children (thought they could still be an issue with particularly acrobatic cats!).

We love that this one has extra storage on top that could be used for wine bottles or wine accessories.

 
 

And we like ceiling-mounted style for its rustic elegance (it also provides storage for quite a few wine glasses):

 
 

How to Store Wine Glasses in a Mobile Home or Boat

Love the RV or boating lifestyle, but want some fine wine glasses for special occasions? Or just want a break from Solo cups? An option other than unbreakable wine glasses is to store a couple of wine glasses in a box especially designed for this purpose. We recommend this one especially for fans of larger, expensive wine glasses.

 
 

With this travel case, you can drink wine in style, even when you’re relaxing beside your RV or floating into the sunset on your boat!

The Bottom Line on Storing Wine Glasses

When storing expensive wine glasses, store them “bowl up.” Inexpensive glassware can be stored either up or down, as cheap glassware tends to have thicker bowl rims.

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Always be sure to clean and dry your glassware before storage (and afterward!) to prevent mold or mildew and to clean away any dust (or bugs, yuck!) that may have taken up residence in the wine glass during storage.

If you live in an earthquake-prone area or are especially clumsy, consider limiting slippage by installing a shelf liner on the cupboard shelf where you store wine glasses, or consider getting a slide-out rack.  

If you like to take your wine glasses on the go, be it an RV, a boat, or on a camping trip, there are options to protect a couple of wine glasses for celebrating those special occasions.

We hope you find success in your wine glass storage endeavors!

Cheers!   

Wine Aerators Exist So You Can Drink Right Now

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Wine aerators are very popular among wine enthusiasts. To be honest, we’ve rare rarely used wine aerators at KnowWines because we prefer to use a decanter or to age wine in a wine cabinet.  So, we set out to investigate why wine aerators are so popular.

Wine aerators exist so that we can drink now (well, once we get the screw cap off or release the cork from the bottle!). Studies show that 90% of American wine consumers drink the wine they purchase within two weeks of purchase, and of that 50% is consumed within 2-3 days. So, it makes sense that wine aerators are popular. We decided to open a couple of bottles and try out the very best wine aerators (all in the name of research, of course!).

Before we continue with our recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

What Is a Wine Aerator?

Honestly, any product that one can pass wine through is technically a wine aerator. But can be also be aerated through a specially designed wine accessory called a wine aerator. These devices are typically made from various plastics and may or may not include a metal mesh to collect wine sediments or cork debris. Wine aerators typically have a cylindrical path for wine to flow through and an inlet allowing precise exposure of oxygen to the flowing wine. They may or may not include a stand. Alternatively, wine can be aerated using a blender, large wine glass, or classically a decanter.  

What Does a Wine Aerator Do?

When aerating younger wines, an aerator simply serves as a vessel for carefully exposing young wine to oxygen before it is consumed.  Exposing wine to oxygen allows the young wine to breathe and open up. Some frequently heard comments expressed by wine drinkers after tasting aerated wine are:

  • “This wine has a better bouquet.”

  • “The flavors are more enhanced.”

  • “This has a smoother finish.”

We don’t personally recommend using a handheld wine aerator for older wines with sediment. The sediment can clog the filter or the device, resulting in wine spills or extra time at the kitchen sink. With older bottles of wine, we prefer using a decanter and enjoying the entire bottle with friends!

Do I Need a Wine Aerator?

No. You can find a lot of advice online telling you that you can “make your wine taste twice as expensive by using a wine aerator.” However, the same effect can be had by using traditional wine aeration methods like a decanter, a blender (for ultra-fast aeration), or simply letting the wine sit in a glass for a while (15 minutes or more).

However, we understand that not all wine drinking is “fine wine drinking.” There’s definitely a time and a place for beverage wines in our busy lifestyles! We don’t all have time to get out decanters and plan hours ahead for a five-star drinking experience. That’s why these wine aerators are a good tool for minimizing wait time between opening a bottle of wine and enjoying it. And if you tend to purchase and consume quite a few bottles of younger wines each month, this would be a good investment for you!

And here’s a KnowWines secret:  we do keep one wine aerator on hand. When we have a white wine that we think could be improved by aeration, rather than decanting the whole bottle, we pass some of the white wine (75 - 100 mL) through a simple handheld wine aerator made by Vinturi. If we are pleased with the preliminary results, we then decant the bottle. 

Where Can I Buy A Wine Aerator?

Wine Aerators can be found in most of the following retail locations:

  • Independent bottle shops

  • Large wine stores like Total Wine & More

  • Big-box retailers like Target, Walmart, and Bed Bath & Beyond (though it may take a little hunting around or asking a sales associate!)

  • Online

What Is the Best Wine Aerator?

We own only one wine aerator, the Vinturi. We didn’t actually give this purchase much thought. The Vinturi simply looked easy to use and easy to clean. Also, it had a minimal footprint and was on sale at our favorite local wine bottle shop. So, we gave the Vinturi a try, and we’re happy we did!

 
 

Like we said, we don’t use wine aerators often, but for the times we do, we’ve been quite happy with the Vinturi. And after further research, the Vinturi looks to have a strong fan base, with lots of positive comments.

Positive reviews address enhanced aromas and flavors of everyday wines, ease of use, and simple clean-up. The product also comes with a stand, which gathers the drips after use in case you want to come back and use it in an hour or so before cleaning it.  

 Negative reviews highlight a common flaw with acrylic composition - if the item is dropped, it may have a propensity to develop hairline cracks that are either cosmetic in nature or that eventually impact the utility of the item. This is true of many acrylic items and can also occur with the age of the item, rather than as the result of dropping it.

For folks with manual dexterity challenges (or those who simply want to aerate a glass of wine without holding onto the aerator), Vinturi has designed this tower for less cumbersome aeration.

 
 

How Do I Use a Wine Aerator?

We’ve made this simple video to show you how to use the wine aerator. (Don’t worry, it’s a pretty straightforward process!)

Simply pour the desired volume of wine (75 to 150 mL) through the aerator positioned above your glass. After using the wine aerator, place it back into the stand. If you only intend to use it once, place it directly into the dishwasher or sink.

How Do I Clean and Store a Wine Aerator?

Most wine aerators are dishwasher safe. However, they are small and may get damaged in a dishwasher if the dishwasher is not loaded correctly. You can also clean the aerator with dish soap and water. If you can’t get it clean, try placing the aerator in a glass dish, cover the aerator with warm water, and add a table of denture or retainer cleaner. 

One can also attack any blockage in one of the tubes by using compressed air - the same compressed air one uses to remove dust from electronics and computers. We like this rechargeable and cordless compressed air tool as it eliminates the waste associated with cans of compressed air. 

 
 

When the aerator is not in use, keep it on a stand to keeping it from rolling around in a drawer. Keep away from other heavy items to prevent the acrylic portion from breaking.  

Finally…Why Do Wine Aerators Look Like Adult Toys?

We wonder if we are alone in this assessment? But humor us for a second. Here is a popular personal massager ...

 
 

And here are a few popular wine aerators on the market in addition to our favorite Vinturi…

 
 

This one, too …

 
 

And also this one …

 
 

But, we digress!

Wine Aerator Summary

Aerating wine simply exposes wine to oxygen in a controlled manner. Today’s busy lifestyles don’t always allow us to plan in advance and use traditional methodologies like decanters.

Much of the wine purchased and consumed in the United States is drank within the first two weeks. Wine aerators can increase the enjoyment of wine, especially when a single person or couple just wants to enjoy one glass in an evening.

KnowWines recommends the Vinturi Wine Aerator. We don’t use it often, bit it does come in handy when we want to quickly learn how well a wine we just opened might respond to aeration in a classic decanter.  

A Little Footnote

Like the hourglass in the Vinturi photo? I purchased it in Napa Valley at Pennyweight in St Helena, California. If you can’t find a similar item there, they are also available here:

 
 

Happy aerating! And cheers!

Ten Wine Games To Play With or Without Wine

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In the midst of the current Covid-19 crisis, your favorite wine bar or restaurant is likely closed for the coming weeks. Without our usual social outlets, we’re all going to be searching for productive (or at least enjoyable) ways to spend our time at home. Why not learn about wine? And while you’re at it, play classic childhood games, but with wine themes? If you didn’t stock up on wine, no problem. We have a few fun wine games you can play with or without wine!

Before we continue with our tips, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

Host a Blind Tasting Party

Sheltering in place with friends or roommates? A blind tasting party is a great way to pass time and learn something about wine while you’re at it. If you don’t have enough people at home to pull off a tasting party, this could be a romantic evening activity for you and your partner.

To successfully host a blind tasting, you really need the three components provided in this kit in addition to wine glasses.

 
 

This kit includes pencils, labels for the wine glasses, bags to cover up the wines, a simple wine aroma and flavor guide, and some pre-printed wine tasting notecards for participants.  The kit accommodates up to 10 participants with 5 wines. Or 5 participants with 10 wines. One participant with 10 wines is not recommended (unless of course, you are a sommelier or wine scholar cramming for an upcoming exam)! 

If your wine tasting group wants to more in-depth than the content that is provided in the kit, you might want to use a resource that explains the “why” and “how” and not just the “what” of the wines you are tasting. This indispensable handbook on flavors released in early 2020 will definitely up your blind wine-tasting game!

 
 

Somm Blinder Cards

If you’re a fan of the Somm Movie series or Somm TV, the folks over at Flask Fine Wines have a great wine deck from the makers of the Somm documentary series. These Somm Blinder Cards are similar to the Wine Game Kit, but will definitely take your tasting up a notch!

 
 

With this game, you essentially need the cards, wine, wine glasses, a decanter (optional), pens and paper for scorekeeping, and a spit bucket.  The taster with the lowest points gets to clean the spit bucket!  

 
 

Test Your Wine IQ

Looking for a wine game that doesn’t require wine? If Trivial Pursuit is right up your alley, the folks at Helvetiq have this nice Wine IQ game that can be played with as few as 2 and up to 12 players. (Good for a Zoom or Facetime session with family or friends?)

 
 

If you (and your friends) don’t know much about wines, don’t worry.  Like in Trivial Pursuit, this game offers a huge variety of questions. The variety makes it easy for wine geeks at all steps in the wine learning journey to play. For example, some of the cards ask about the etymological source of “wine words.” There are math and science questions as well!

Wine Word Puzzles

We love a good wine word puzzle. And let’s face it, there actually might be such a thing as too much Netflix. When you need a nice, quiet activity that still stimulates the brain, word puzzles are the best. That’s why KnowWines developed a flight of FREE wine word searches. Perfect for passing time while sheltering in place!

 
 

Wine Bottle Puzzles

Looking for a hands-on wine bottle puzzle? Those who love 3-D puzzles, wooden puzzle toys, or solving engineering challenges might enjoy one of these brain teaseing wooden wine bottle puzzles. Simply place a wine bottle inside the wooden base then follow the instructions to build the puzzle around the wine bottle!

 
 

Whine Games Conversation Starter

Days of social distancing having you at a loss for conversation? This Whine Barrel Conversation Starter does not require wine, and it can be used in person or over Zoom or FaceTime. Inside the “Whine barrel,” there are 150 cards for conversation starters. Not many of the cards are actually about wine, however, so serious wine students might want to pass this one up. 

 
 

Foodie Games: Wine and Food Mad Libs

Many GenXers likely remember playing Mad Libs on the school bus or on road trips (with the Etch-a-Sketch buried under the seat!). This fun throwback game can be played alone or with friends. At KnowWines, we personally look forward to unplugging with the Mad Libs Eat and Drink game (and we also look forward to rediscovering the joy of writing dirty phrases in fill-in-the-blank templates!).  

 
 

Wine Board Game

For folks who like to take it slow with a nice, focused board game, this unique viticulture game will transport you to Tuscany, Italy, where you (or you and a partner) are given a set of supplies to build a vineyard and winery! The game is constructed of very high-quality pieces. It’s also a strategic game that can be played with two players, but is not as competitive as Catan.

 
 

WineOpoly Board Game

Finaly, we’re rounding out our collection of wine games with this classic play on Monopoly - only with wine! The game pieces are wine bottles, corks, and glasses, and Park Place has been replaced with Champagne! Roll the dice and advance to Cheers! We think this is a fun, festive way to spend an evening.

 
 

Wine Games Conclusion

There are a number of wine games on the market.  Some wine games are wine-themed plays on old favorites, while others are classic games enclosed in a wine-themed box or barrel.

Some wine games can be played by yourself, with a friend, or with a large group. These group wine games can be adaptable to online play if your friend is not able to meet up with you in person.  Other wine games are for serious wine enthusiasts or for wine newbies to play with a sommelier friend.

Regardless of the game you choose, you’re sure to have fun with or without wine.  

We hope this will help you to fill an evening (or two) with some good, wine-themed fun!

Cheers!


























How to Pack Wine Glasses for Moving

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No matter how you approach it, moving is an exhausting undertaking. It can also be nerve wracking, especially when you’re moving valuable and highly breakable items such as crystal glassware? Well, we can’t take the exhaustion out of your moving process, but we can ease your nerves about that crystal glassware with a few tips, tricks, and ideal products for packing wine glasses.

Before we continue with our tips, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

How to Pack Wine Glasses for Moving

Measure Your Wine Glasses

To select the right size of box, you’ll need to measure the height of your tallest glasses. You want to be sure that the boxes you select have enough room to accommodate your glassware. Attempting to force crystal glassware into a too-small box will leave you with shattered crystal glassware!

Find the Right Boxes 

The type of box we prefer for packing wine glasses is a “banker’s box.” The top is constructed of a single piece of cardboard (versus four pieces as seen in traditional boxes). Also, a banker’s box lid does not require tape to close, minimizing the amount of pressure one has to place on the box. Finally, the banker’s box can be reused after moving to store paper files or home items in your closet. 

These boxes come with dividers and cushion foam 

If you already have a standard-sized box and simply need glass dividers, you can also buy just the dividers and cushion foam online:

 
 

Alternatively, if you have only the box and glass dividers but no cushion foam, the foam can be purchased here:

 
 

If you don’t want to take on the added expense of glass dividers and cushion foam, just skip them and pack them as we describe below.  Simply make sure you have lots of packing paper!

Select Your Packing Paper

You will definitely need some kind of packing material to protect those wine glasses. Packing paper is less expensive than bubble wrap and a lot less bulky. It’s also recyclable or reusable by kids as a canvas for drawing or painting! You can get unprinted newsprint paper at most moving supply stores as well as online.  

 
 

Yes, could also use regular printed newspaper. However, some inks will stain wine glasses, which is why we recommend the unprinted paper instead.  If you do stain your wine glasses, you might want to try an overnight soak in the sink or in a bucket with some unscented denture cleaner.

 
 

Find Good Quality Packing Tape

It’s really important to get some good quality tape to secure both the top and the bottom of the box. Higher-quality tape will secure the lid to your box securely, thus preventing a box that pops open during the move, potentially damaging your glasses. These heavy duty rolls will do the trick.

 
 

Get Some Packing Labels

It’s really important to indicate to movers (or, friends and family who are helping you move) which boxes have fragile contents. We love these color-coded packing labels as they make box sorting a breeze. Included are labels indicating to not stack other boxes on top of your wine glasses and to orient the movers or your friends which end of the box is up.

 
 

Our Step-by-Step Guide to Packing Wine Glasses

This is the process we use to securely pack our wine glasses when we move. We have a lot of wine glasses (and we’ve been through several moves), so we think it’s a tried-and-true method!

Prep the Moving Box

Assemble the moving box as instructed. Don’t forget to tape up the bottom really well using that heavy duty packing tape! Taping the box well not only prevents the box from coming open, it also provides more structure and strengthens the box. If you’re using glass dividers, insert them once you have the box constructed.

Wrap the Wine Glasses

Remove one sheet of packing paper from the box and lay it out flat.  Place the wine glass in one corner of the paper, far enough from the corner that you can insert a small portion of the wrapping paper into the bowl of the wine glass. Bring up the bottom corner of the packing paper and gently wrap the stem. Then, roll the wine glass gently to use the rest of the wrap. Don’t ram too much paper in the wine glass bowl or you will break it.  Also, don’t twist the glass too much when you are wrapping it. When you’re done wrapping, carefully place the wrapped glass into the box (within layers of more packing paper OR in the glass dividers you’ve inserted).

Secure the top of the box

Tape up the top of the box really well.  Label it with all the pertinent stickers: “This End Up,” “Fragile,” “Kitchen” (to indicate where movers should take the box), etc. Be sure not to stack other boxes on top of boxes holding wine glasses. Finally, if at all possible, supervise the moving of these boxes to be sure that they are handled carefully!

How to Wrap Wine Glasses (for Visual Learners)

Check out this video if you prefer to see (rather than read!) an example of wrapping wine glasses for moving. This video will show you how to wrap wine glasses for packing, just like the pros do it!

Check out this video if you prefer to see (rather than read!) an example of wrapping wine glasses for moving. This video will show you how to wrap wine glasses for packing, just like the pros do it!

That’s a Wrap on Packing Wine Glasses!

To recap, here’s our approach in a nutshell:

Get all your supplies together (you can use the fancy boxes with dividers, or use the more economical process we show). Wrap your glasses individually. Make sure the exterior of the box indicates that the contents are fragile.  Don’t put a heavy box on top of it your box holding wine glasses.

When you’re unpacking (which is so much better than packing!), reuse your bank box for storing paperwork or other items that you’d like to keep dust-free and away from light. If you don’t have space to keep the boxes, upcycle them on Facebook marketplace or Craigslist. People are often looking for this type of box, and you shouldn’t have trouble finding takers! 

Best wishes for a great move, and happy packing!

Cheers!

What to Wear to Wine Country

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If you’ve booked a trip to wine country, you’ve likely already researched the wineries and other attractions you want to visit. Your next step is figuring out what to pack. Whether you’re visiting Napa and Sonoma, or are crossing the pond for Bordeaux or Rhone Valley adventure, you’ll want to be sure you know what to wear to a winery. Packing the right winery outfits will help you to pack minimally and purchases less during your trip. 

First, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

How do I select my winery outfits? 

Whether you’re enjoying a romantic weekend, reuniting with a  group of girlfriends, or attending a winery wedding, dressing for the winery is usually a no fuss affair. Here are a few guidelines to get you started: 

  • Dark colors are a great go-to for winery attire (that way, spilled red wine won’t ruin your entire outfit!). We like to coordinate black separates with a colorful shawl or accessory. 


  • Practical shoes are essential. Essentially, you’re visiting a farm, so high heels and shoes that can’t tolerate a bit of mud just aren’t a good idea. Aim for practical but stylish boots.  


  • Plan for rain with an umbrella and a raincoat. It could be a chilly 55 degrees or lower, so you’ll also want layers for that damp cold. 


  • Plan for sun with sunglasses, a practical sun hat, and (of course) sunscreen.

     

  • Avoid excessive jewelry, floppy hats, or flowy clothes that can catch on vines or wine barrels. 


  • Dark-colored separates are ideal, as they will transition nicely from winery to an upscale restaurant, in the event that you’re dining out after your wine tasting. 

Now that you have a general guide to winery attire, here are a few of our favorite items to fill the gaps in your winery wardrobe. 

Best Shoes for Winery Tour

Tours can involve a great deal of walking, sometimes across uneven surfaces, up and down stairs, in and out of golf carts, and through the vineyards. To keep up with the terrain and the tour guide, go for dressy hiking boots. The vineyard pros often wear Blundstone. 

 
 
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Best Windproof Umbrella for Wine Country

Conditions at a winery can include bright sun, wind, and pop-up showers. This large golf umbrella comes in a variety of sizes for singles, couples and small groups. 

 
 

Best Wine Country Sunscreen

Sunscreen is essential when traveling to wine country, no matter what time of year you go (it’s especially important in the summer, though!). Travel can make your skin prone to breakouts, though, so you’ll want to pack a good sunscreen that’s formulated specifically for the face and won’t clog pores. 

 
 

Best Winery Handbag

A crossbody shoulder satchel is ideal for wearing on a winery tour, as  you will want to keep your hands free. A larger handbag will just get in your way and feel cumbersome as you walk throughout the winery. Take this slim satchel instead. Then, slip the satchel into a larger bag in the evenings.

 
 

Best Scarf for Wine Country Style 

We love this classic brushed cashmere scarf by Burberry. It is warm, cozy, and stylish without being overstated. It’s the perfect accessory for pairing with elegant but practical black separates. 

 
 

Best Wine-Friendly Denim 

In wine country, basics are the best when it comes to attire. Simple, dark denim can be dressed up or down. We prefer a classic, easy-to-wear pair of Levi’s. 

 
 

Best Sunglasses for the Vineyards

No matter the season, you’re going to need a pair of shades. And when you’ve pared down your wardrobe to the basics, classy sunglasses are a great way to upgrade your look. These Prada sunglasses provide 100% UV protection and are 100% chic.

 
 

Best Rainy Vineyard Rain Jacket

The likelihood of pop-up showers and damp weather is high in wine country. You’ll definitely want to pack a sturdy but lightweight rain jacket that keeps you dry and warm at the winery. This hooded rain jacket by Levi’s also has convenient pockets for storing a phone or other items you want to bring along. 

 
 

Winery Attire & Accessories Wrap-Up

We hope this list helped you to pack a suitcase that’s primed for a perfect wine country experience. With the right clothes, boots, and rain gear, you should be all set for looking like pro at any winery you visit.

And if you love the wine at those wineries enough to take some home with you, check out our article on how to fly with wine.

Cheers!

Funny Sexy Wine Stuff

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Valentine’s Day or anniversary approaching and don’t want to fight the crowds?  Are you looking for Valentine’s Day ideas or activities with your significant other?   We’ll help you set up your at-home wine-themed as well as share some of our favorite funny sexy wine stuff to add some spice to your evening in. 

Before we continue with our review, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

First the wine …

It probably isn’t as hard as you think to pick the perfect wine for your romantic evening. For starters, consider your significant other’s preferences and then read helpful guide to finding great wine at the grocery store. However, for such an intimate occasion, it’s not a bad idea to seek out a small, independent wine store. In the Triangle Area, we love the Hillsborough Wine Company for their wide variety of wines at different price points. If you’re not sure what your beloved likes to drink, take note of their food preferences and relay that information to your local wine bottle shop for advice.

Once you have just the right bottle, consider writing a sexy message on the bottle (and on the pair of wine glasses) with one of these fun wine pens.

 
 

Then the food …

Perfect Pairings

Celebrate your perfect pairing… with a perfect pairing. If you’re planning on making the meal yourself, we recommend Perfect Pairings by Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein. When wine students receive recommendations for wine pairing books, this one is almost always at the top of the list.

 
 

This book isn’t just for sommeliers! It is also great for wine lovers and foodies. Anyone can use it to select a special wine at any of three of Evan’s price points: Everyday, Premium, and Splurge. In the book, wine styles and varieties are listed, as well as why some foods are considered “classic” pairings. Evan goes into detail on grape variety, wine-growing areas, what vintners are looking for in making their wines, flavors you can expect, how to make great pairings, and how to avoid pairings that might not be so good. There are even a couple of recipes with recommended wine pairings.

A Year of Perfect Wine and Food Pairings

Want a valentine’s day activity that will keep you and your partner connected throughout the year? Consider creating a standing date with your significant other. Each month, on this special date night, try a new wine and food pairing. So you’re prepared, purchase six or twelve “Everyday” wines from Evan’s book and prepare a dish to pair with it. Keep track of your journey in a wine journal. You can record the details of the date as well as what you loved (and didn’t love) about each wine and food pairing.

Setting the Scene

Now that your wine and food are in order, let’s set the scene for your romantic at-home dinner!

Best Romantic Candle for Wine Lovers

If you are preparing a meal for a loved one, we recommend against strong perfume, household fragrance, or overly scented candles that might interfere with the aromas of food and wine. We love this candle because it really does smell like a European wine cave (and it’s not overpowering in its scent). It’s perfect for a romantic evening of wine pairings (especially if you and your partner have ever dreamed of traveling to Bordeaux or Burgundy!).

 
 

Best Romantic Wine Opener

If your wine opener needs an upgrade, or if you just need a wine opener that helps to inspire a romantic mood, check out this beautiful handmade wine opener from France. 

 
 

The Sexiest Wine Decanter

Once you’ve got the wine open, it’s a good idea to decant a younger wine with a narrow-topped decanter. Have some fun with this voluptuous handmade decanter from Austria.  

 
 

A Pair of Sexy Glassware

If you are looking for an elegant pair of glassware perfect for sipping wine by the fire with the one you love, we’ve got the set for you.

 
 

If you end up loving this glassware and want to learn more, check out our full Gabriel Glas review.

The Perkiest Wine Stopper

If you’re finished drinking but there’s still wine in the bottle, Sir Perky is at your service to add some naughty silliness to the evening. This novelty item is a fun way to enclose an unfinished bottle of everyday wine. If you really splurged on a premium bottle of wine and you want to preserve what’s left, try the Repour Wine Preserver. Sir Perky will do just fine, though, for an “everyday” bottle.

 
 

Vineyard-Themed Romance Novels

Finally, a vineyard-themed romance novel is a great end-of-the-meal Valentine’s Day gift for a romantic, wine-themed evening. You might consider placing a few of these wine-themed romance novels in a gift basket with a bottle of wine and sexy wine accessories. This is the kind of gift that really sets the mood!

 
 

It’s a Wrap

Well that’s a wrap on our sexy, wine-themed recommendations for your romantic evening at home. Oh, and if you have any wine left in the bottle at evening’s end, you might consider wrapping it up with a Wine Condom!

 
 

Cheers to a Happy Valentine’s Day, from Sir Perky!

 
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Best Wine Bottle Coasters

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If you entertain frequently, a wine coaster might be on your list of helpful host/hostess items. Or maybe you already have a wine coaster but aren’t exactly sure of its purpose. In this blog, we share the history and purpose of wine bottle coasters, as well our recommendations for the best wine coasters.

Before we continue with our review, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

What is the history of the wine coaster?

Between the 1820’s and 1840’s, Britain saw an increase in both clothing and wine consumption driven by the abolition of import and export duties. Wearing nice clothes and drinking great wine with dinner became a way for upper society to demonstrate their wealth.

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People organizing formal dinner parties needed a way to slide or “coast” a bottle of wine or a wine decanter around on a very large dining table. These first wine coasters were wooden. In early nineteenth-century dining, silver was all the rage, so wine coasters became more elaborate, with artisans mixing wood and silver. These wine coasters became a platform for silver artisans to show off their ornamentation skills.

Entertaining large groups of people was fashionable, and as this dining trend passed from Britain to the United States, it became popular with Industrial Revolution plutocrats who populated the east coast. As a result, one will find antique wine coasters made in Europe, the United States and China. Because dining tables of the time were quite large, wine bottle coaster collectors will find that these coasters came in sets of two to six. 

In the early nineteenth century, due to recent advances in bottling and the utilization of bottle corks, wine bought and served from bottles was becoming more common. Technological advances in filtration were still over 100 years away, so a lot of wine in these bottles needed to be decanted to separate wine from its sediment right before serving.

The decanters of this time were tall and narrow, so the footprint of the decanter was often about the same size as the wine bottle. The wine decanters were tall and narrow because they were simply secondary containers to pour wine into so that sediment could be left behind in the original wine bottle. These narrow, handmade decanters are still available today online and in antique shops.

 
 

How is a wine coaster used today?

Today most of us are not hosting large, elaborate dinners where we need to slide a bottle down a long table filled with guests. Neither are we “coasting” a bottle around a drawing-room after retiring from a formal meal and letting our corsets out a notch or two.  

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Wine coasters these days are primarily objects of decor, though there are some helpful aspects of having one in your home. Constructed from a number of materials, today’s silver and/or crystal wine coasters can add a touch of sparkle to a formal holiday meal or the bride and groom’s table. Also, a wine bottle coaster is used as a barrier between a sweating bottle and a piece of wood furniture or marble countertop. A wine coaster can also hold a narrow decanter upon the occasion of decanting older wines.  Wine bottle coasters can also be used to show off a single wine bottle before the meal. Finally, wine coasters are sometimes passed down generation to generation and are simply a unique heirloom.  

How do I use a wine bottle coaster?

A wine bottle coaster can be used in any of the following ways:

  • To simply display a single bottle of wine before opening it

  • To act as a moisture barrier between a cold wine bottle and a warm tabletop, to prevent a water ring

  • To “coast” a bottle of wine from one end of the table to another.  

To use, simply place the bottle of wine or narrow base decanter into the wine coaster.

What materials are used to make wine coasters?

Traditionally wine coasters have been constructed of silver and wood.  

As wine coasters have transitioned from a functional item used by the upper class in the early nineteenth century to more decorative and functional purposes in modern times, the construction of wine coasters has become quite diverse.

Wine coasters today can be made of wood, silver, crystal, glass, wood, stainless steel, cork, metal, stone, and more.

Where can I buy a wine coaster?

Today, one can find new or antique silver wine bottle coasters in antiques shops or online auctions, big box stores, thrift shops, or various online retailers.  

Do I need a wine coaster?

No, you can get by just fine in life without a wine coaster. However, if you are a wine lover, wine coaster collector, or are desiring a way to prevent water rings on your tabletop in a more elegant manner than using a wine koozie, you may want to buy a wine coaster. Wine coasters might may also make a nice, inexpensive gift for a wine lover or someone who enjoys the accouterments of formal service and wants to convey some of those aspects to their home dining. Others might use a wine bottle coaster to add a sparkle of crystal or silver on the tabletop.  

What’s the best type of wine coaster?

The best wine coaster for you really depends upon the application.

If you are simply looking for a decorative item, the best coaster for you will be based on the design aesthetic that appeals to you. Big box stores, mall stores, and many online retailers sell a wide variety of wine coasters.

If your intent in purchasing a wine coaster is to avoid unsightly water rings on the table, look for a double-walled wine coaster.  Alternatively, a wine coaster made from cork or another absorptive material may meet your needs.

Our Favorite Wine Coasters

Waterford Crystal Heritage Bottle Coaster

If you’re looking for a timeless crystal coaster, Waterford is a great place to start. This coaster accommodates all 750 mL bottle sizes, including Champagne bottles. What we like about the Waterford Crystal bottle coaster is its sparkle and heft. This wine coaster can also be used to hold jewelry, a candle, or other small items, when you’re not using it for a bottle of wine. If you’re looking for a gift for “someone who has it all,” it’s hard to go wrong with a wine coaster like this.

 
 

Double Walled Bottle Coaster

This practical wine coaster will keep excess moisture from dripping onto your table or tablecloth. The style complements other stainless steel frequently found in kitchens these days. The wine coaster is easy to clean up. It’s also worth noting that American Metalcraft has been in the restaurant supply industry for over 70 years and has a good reputation for quality in the industry.

 
 

Vagabond House Handcrafted Wine Coaster with Oak Design

If you collect silver and/or pewter items and you are looking for a handcrafted lead-free pewter wine coaster, consider this one by Vagabond. Oak leaves and acorns signify longevity, patience, and endurance, making this coaster a perfect wedding gift.

 
 

Cork Wine Bottle Coaster

If your favorite type of wine is sparkling wine, you may already know that these wines are best served around 40 F to 50 F, to maintain freshness and fruitiness. When enjoying your sparkling wine, however, you may run into the issue of moisture on the outside of the bottle that quickly accumulates as the bottle warms and sweats. Simply placing the bottle on a cork glassware coaster might not be enough, as there’s often not enough absorption in this type of coaster to accommodate the volume of water that is “sweated”.

This marble and cork wine bottle coaster contains a thick layer of cork to absorb liquid. Any excess liquid is contained within the marble walls. This is a beautiful way to solve the issue of sweating wine bottles.

Since these coasters are made from natural marble and natural cork, the actual color will vary. 

 
 

Stainless Steel Wine Bottle Coaster

If you are in the wine or restaurant business and need a volume of wine coasters to spread out among tables, or you simply need an inexpensive but good looking set of wine coasters for large parties at home, consider these brushed stainless wine bottle coasters that come in a set of four.

These are the bottle coasters we use for our in-person wine tasting parties. There’s a sufficient lip that contains any bottle sweat, and they are very easy to clean and stack. What’s great about these flat wine bottle coasters is that they don’t obstruct any portion of the label.  

One thing we’ve noticed is that they can be scratched if you are moving them around a bit. They are not as heavyweight as I expected, however for this application (displaying a wine bottle) a super thick layer of stainless steel is not really needed.

 
 

And that’s a wrap on wine bottle coasters!

Wine bottle coasters have been around since the early nineteenth century, where they were used by the upper class to “coast” wines around a room when servants weren’t around to pass the wine for them.

Today, wine bottle coasters serve both decorative and practical purposes, such as absorbing or containing bottle “sweat” or drips. Traditionally made of wood and silver, wine bottle coasters of today are made out of a wide variety of materials. The quality of materials, place of manufacture, and level of craftsmanship involved drives the price. 

Wine bottle coasters can be purchased online, as well as in antique shops, big box stores, and thrift shops. We hope you enjoyed learning about wine coasters and considering our recommendations!

Cheers!

Demystifying Wine Decanters

If you are looking to purchase a decanter or are simply curious about how decanters work, you’ve come to the right place. Decanting might look elegant and intimidating, but there’s no secret to the art of decanting. In fact, if you’ve spent any time in a kitchen or laboratory, you probably already know a lot more about decanters than you realize! In this blog, we’ll demystify the art of decanting as well as recommend a few of our favorite decanters.  

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Before we continue with our review, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

What is a wine decanter?

According to The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson, a decanter is typically a handleless clear glass bottle or container exceeding one-liter holding capacity. The decanter may or may not have a closure.

Wine decanters have been around at least since Roman times.  Historically, they have been comprised of various materials including earthenware, glass, crystal, bronze, silver, or gold.

Do you need a wine decanter?

No, you don’t need a wine decanter, though there are certainly benefits and pleasures to using one.

If you don’t purchase much wine to drink at home during the year, you can find another suitable one-liter or larger container to aerate wine before consuming. Suitable substitutes include a glass pitcher, a blender carafe, or even a salad bowl.  You simply need a container large enough to hold the volume of wine you wish to decant. The larger the surface area, the faster the poured wine will “breathe”.

If you are enjoying one glass of young wine for yourself, you don’t need to hassle with a decanter.  Simply place the wine in a glass with a broad bowl like this one and swirl the wine in the glass. Then, let it sit for a few minutes.  

If you simply love the shape and allure of decanters or drink wines often enough that you desire to own a decanter, then, by all means, purchasing and using a decanter will increase the pleasure of consuming wines.  As decanters can get rather large, decorative decanters have become popular (a large decanter typically can’t fit in a standard cupboard or shelf, and so must be displayed on a countertop or open shelf). 

What does a wine decanter do?

At the end of the day, a decanter is simply a receptacle for holding wine.

When decanting younger wines, a decanter simply serves as a vessel for carefully exposing young wine to oxygen before it is consumed. Exposing wine to oxygen allows the young wine to breathe and open up. Decanters intended for younger wines tend to have a wide base.  Using a decanter to aerate a young wine is more effective than simply opening a bottle of wine and sitting it on a countertop for an hour or so. Leaving the wine in the bottle with the cork removed only exposes the wine in the neck of the bottle (a very small portio) to oxygen.

When decanting older wines (typically wines with some sediment in the bottom), the decanter serves as a place to separate the wine from the sediment that will remain in the original wine bottle. Decanters (or carafes) for older wines tend to be narrower at the base.  

Why use a wine decanter?

Wine decanters are used for three main reasons, which we have detailed below.

Decanting Still Wines to Aerate Them

Many still (non-sparkling) wines benefit from controlled exposure to oxygen before consuming them. This process allows the wine to open up and breathe before serving.  

Decanting young wines is not always necessary, as many modern wines are made for immediate consumption. However, if you are consuming a fine wine, artisanal wine, or quality wine from an independent producer, the wine will likely require some decanting as it has likely not been filtered as much as simpler commercial wines. 

Decanting Wines with Sediment

Prior to the implementation of filtration systems in many wineries in the 20th century, many wines would build up sediment as the wine aged in the bottle. So that the sediment didn’t end up on your or your guest’s glass, wines were (and are) poured from their original bottle into a decanter over candlelight. Once the sludge of sediment is visible in the neck of the bottle, the pourer puts down the wine bottle and places the decanter on the table. Then, guests enjoy the wine as it is poured from the decanter into individual wine glasses. 

Decanting Cheap Wines to Disguise Frugality

If you are hosting a wine party on a budget for a crowd or want to switch over to some cheap wine later in the evening, pouring cheap wine from a box or inexpensive bottle into a nice decanter will “dress up” the wine presentation. Brilliant!

How do I use a wine decanter?

It’s really quite simple, no need to overthink it! We’ve found the best way to learn how to decant is by watching someone else with training and experience wines. To learn more, check out this video on the decanting of young wines in a large decanter and older wines (via candlelight) into a narrow-based decanter (carafe).

Decanting an Older Wine

If you are decanting an older wine, you really don’t want to decant it until just before consuming, as some of the aromas will become muted and disappear with exposure to oxygen. With an especially old wine, you will want to cover the top of the decanter (carafe) with some sort of enclosure so that aromas don’t escape.

Decanting Younger Wines

If you are decanting a younger wine, such as a premium or artisanal wine from a region like Bordeaux, the Rhone, or Napa, you will need to do a little experimentation and let the taste be your guide. First, pour yourself a small taste before decanting. If the aromas and flavor are quite muted (not very expressive), then you might need to decant the wine for an hour or more. Our best advice is to keep tasting a sip or two at a time, 15-20 minutes apart, until it starts to taste as you like (such hard work!). To anticipate how long this might be, you can consider looking up others’ tasting notes on an application like Cellar Tracker to see how long the same wine was decanted by other people who drank it. You may need to take this information with a grain of salt as everyone has different preferences for length of decanting, but at least you’ll get a general idea of the decanting period (which could be anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours!).

If you are decanting a very young wine, such as a cheap wine from the grocery store, decanting for 15 to 30 minutes is usually sufficient.  

What are the different types of decanters?

Decanters vary by construction, shape, design, and price. The material of which the decanter is made and the shape are significant factors.

Materials Used to Make Decanters

Basically, you want a decanter that is made of an inert substance that will not interact with the wine you wish to decant. This means plastic is typically out of the running. Commercially available decanters are typically made from glass, crystal, earthenware, and silver.  

Glass decanters are typically the least expensive and least durable. However, they generally take to automatic dishwashers better than crystal decanters, mostly due to their thick walls.

Crystal decanters are quite durable.  Crystal decanters can be mouth-blown or made from a mold.  Crystal decanters are also likely to be more elaborate in shape than glass decanters, as even very thin walls can be quite strong.  

Different Shapes of Decanters

As trends come and go, so do the shapes of decanters.

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We categorize decanters into two main groups: tall thin carafes for decanting older wines and broad-bottomed decanters for younger wines.

You will find various sources describing the differences between decanters and how they affect wine. However, we’ve found that there’s really a very minimal difference in the aroma and flavor of wine decanted in the various types of decanters outside of these two groupings of tall/thin and broad/round.

When you are shopping on the internet or at a bottle shop, antique shop, or large retail shop like Williams Sonoma or Crate & Barrel, you will find lots of cool names for decanter shapes, like shaft and globe, Indian club, taper, shoulder, mallet, pillar cut, cruciform, cornett, and duck (to name a few!).

How do I clean a wine decanter?

If you clean your decanter right after using it,, you can usually just triple rinse the decanter with hot water from the tap. If wine sat in the decanter for a few hours or overnight, however, a more aggressive approach to cleaning will be needed.  

After a night of drinking, cleaning a decanter can be quite a bother. If you don’t have time or are afraid that you will damage a decanter in a tired (or inebriated) situation, we recommend a quick rinse followed by filling the decanter with an inch or so of water so that you don’t have to fight with a stain in the morning.

Most glass decanters (and some crystal decanters) can be washed in the dishwasher. If in question, we recommend washing by hand. When washing by hand, try to minimize aromas and residues on both decanters and any fine glassware by washing the glassware in warm water using fragrance-free dish soap. We use this brand:

 
 

When washing by hand use a decanter brush to get into the nooks and crevices of a decanter. We like this one:

 
 

How do I remove wine stains from a wine decanter?

If a wine stain is not removed by the above methods, there are still a couple of approaches to cleaning dried-on wine stains deep inside the decanter.

Decanter Beads

There are beads designed specifically for the purpose of removing stubborn wine stains in the decanter. Carefully place beads in the decanter with soap and water, then swirl to free the debris. Invert the decanter and collect the beads in a kitchen sieve. When you’re done, rinse, dry, and store your decanter beads in the container the beads came in.

 
 

Denture or Retainer Cleanser

If you entertain frequently or are often battling dried on lipstick or wine stains in glassware, do what the pros do - use denture cleaner!  Place a tablet in the decanter, fill with a couple inches of water, and let the decanter sit overnight. This often removes the most stubborn wine stains. When cleaning individual pieces of stemware, we break up a denture tablet and insert just a piece of the tablet into each piece of glassware that requires some deep cleaning. Fill the glass to just above the stain.

 
 

Hard Water Stains

Perhaps your roommate or well-intentioned spouse used your favorite decanter for a flower vase or to temporarily house a goldfish when an aquarium started leaking. Or maybe you live in an area with especially hard water and are annoyed by that invisible film that keeps showing up on your glassware.

Here’s a product that’s used in the craft beer industry to clean glassware with hard water mineral stains from calcium and other naturally occurring elements and minerals.

 
 

How do I polish and dry a wine decanter?

To prevent water spots on the outside of the decanter, we recommend a quick once-over with a fun glassware polishing cloth like this one. You can also use this glass polishing cloth for cleaning glassware, eyeglasses, and photography lenses!

 
 

To air out the inside of the decanter, you have a couple options. First is to “wedge” the decanter into a dish drying rack. This is a good option if you have an inexpensive glass decanter.

If you have an artistic or treasured wine decanter, consider getting a decanter drying rack like this one. We like this drying stand as it has rubber coating to prevent scratches to the decanter.

 
 

Which decanter should I purchase?

Now that you know everything there is to know about decanters, we’ll share our three favorite wine decanters.

Best Wine Decanter for Older Wines

This mouth-blown lead-free decanter from Austria can be used to decant one 750 mL bottle of wine. It’s a good decanter for older wines as one can minimize exposure to oxygen. This very high quality of crystal has no distracting design, allowing one to easily see the color of the aged wine. 

In addition to decanting wine, this carafe can be used to serve water, juice, or other beverages. The hourglass shape is attractive and easy to clean. This decanter is also dishwasher safe. 2500 mL versio is also available if you need to decant a magnum (1.5 L) bottle of wine.

 
 

Best Inexpensive Glass Wine Decanter

If you are looking for a simple, dual purpose wine decanter (for new and old wines) that is inexpensive, this decanter may be for you. In addition to being economical, it does not have a wide base, making it easy to store. This decanter also has an insert that can be used for aerating younger wines (use without the insert for older wines). Due to its shape, this decanter does not scream “wine decanter,” so it can be used for beverages other than wine, like orange juice or flavored water.

 
 

Best Multi-Purpose Lead-Free Crystal Wine Decanter

Perhaps you already have a glass decanter and want your second decanter to be a lead-free crystal wine decanter. This one has a very wide base (8.5 inches) and plenty of surface area for decanting. The slanted top makes it attractive and easy to pour. 

 
 

Best “Splurge” Lead-Free Crystal Wine Decanter

This mouth-blown, high quality, lead-free decanter made in Austria has a sleek design that maximizes surface area of the wine to oxygen. The decanter easily holds a 750 mL bottle of wine and is easy to pour and clean.  

 
 

Wine Decanter Wrap-Up

We hope you learned something about wine decanting and that you feel less intimidated by the process. Have more questions or a favorite wine decanter you want to tell us about? Share in the comment section! Happy decanting!

Cheers from KnowWines!

Thirteen Funny Wine Glasses

Looking for some levity in 2020? How about gifting a set of funny wine glasses? We scoured the internet for the best selection of funny wine glasses out there. This blog shares our top thirteen selections.

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Before we continue with our review, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you.  The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

Why Funny Wine Glasses?

While many prefer to drink out of traditional wine glasses (insert Gabriel Glas article), special events and gift giving can provide occasions for having fun your wine-loving friends who also have a sense of humor!

Things to Avoid When Purchasing Funny Wine Glasses

If you are purchasing a funny wine glass to gift to a wine connoisseur, here are a few things to keep in mind to increase the odds that your carefully purchased gift won’t end up in the dark corners of a cabinet.

Hand Lettered Wine Glasses

Hand lettering became a big trend in the 2010’s. Cute, funny, and naughty sayings found themselves plastered all over home decor, t-shirts, and coffee mugs. Wine glassware, unfortunately, did not escape this trend.  

Hand-lettered wine glasses available through online retailers are often “cheap” wine glasses constructed of lower quality glass or glassware with very thick rims. Sometimes the issue is not the glassware but a low-quality printing or etching on the glass. The saying isn’t funny anymore when a few letters go missing from a printed-on slogan after only a couple washes.

Also, hand-lettering is distracting to some wine lovers. While funny, the lettering can detract from the visual aesthetic of swirling and visually evaluating the wine in the glass.  Instead of choosing hand-lettered glasses, we focused on funny shapes and styles of glassware with more timeless appeal. 

Avoid Stemless Wine Glasses (Unless Requested)

Stemless wine glasses were developed in response to some wine lovers’ need for wine glasses that don’t tip over easily, or that are easier to wash without fear of breaking the stem.

While these stemless galsses are very popular, they can be polarizing. Some wine lovers are turned off by smudged wine glasses (as there is no stem to hold on to). Others don’t like that wine in stemless glasses can become warm too quickly due to the close proximity of the wine to the warm temperature of hands.  

Unless a gift recipient has expressed a love for stemless wine glasses, we recommend sticking with funny wine glasses with stems.  Another option is purchasing a wine tumbler like the Yeti Wine Tumbler and personalizing it.

Where to Buy Funny Wine Glasses

One -of-a-kind funny wine glasses are available at many online retailers.  These include large box stores, online platforms like etsy.com, and small businesses. For locally sourced humorous wine glasses, check on etsy.com, your local wine retailer, or a local glassblower.

Some online retailers specialize in personalized wine glasses. Does the gift recipient have a “trademark saying,” or is there a special retirement sentiment you’d like to share? Plan a few days or weeks in advance and obtain a personalized funny wine glass 

Funny Wine Glass Themes

Funny wine glasses are often inspired by the comedy of everyday life.  Here are some common themes in funny wine glasses:

  • Oversized or odd-shaped wine glasses

  • Professional, vocational

  • Stage of life or lifestyle

  • Naughty

  • Hobbies and Pets

  • Regional or City

  • Current events

  • Overindulgence

  • Humor at expense of “Wine Snobs”

Our 13 Favorite Funny Wine Glasses of 2020

Even with sidestepping the hand-lettering trend, we were able to find thirteen funny wine glasses that are great as gifts or for entertaining at home with friends.

Tipsy Wine Glasses 

No, it’s not an optical illusion, these glasses are tipsy! This set of two funny wine glasses comes with bent stems, giving the illusion that the bowl is going to fall over.

If you are looking for a gift for a raffle or office party, this set of funny wine glasses might be the perfect fit. These glasses can also serve as a great practical joke - replace your friends’ glasses with a couple of these and wait for the startled response.

Pros:

  • Good for practical jokes

  • Timeless

Cons:

  • Not necessarily uniform; stems in a set of glasses may bend at different angles

  • If you fill the glass over 150 mL, it may tip over!

Giant Wine Glass

These novelty giant wine glasses stand twenty inches tall. And yes, they can hold an entire bottle of wine. While the primary purpose of such a glass is as a gag gift, this giant wine glass can also serve as a cork holder, fishbowl, or wine chiller.

 
 

Pros:

  • Ships in a sturdy box

  • Handblown

Cons:

  • Variation in glass quality reported by some consumers

Vampire Wine Glass

These funny wine glasses are more quirky than laugh-out-loud funny. However, many wine enthusiasts will find their design fun and unique. Essentially, one can consume the wine in the glass “like a vampire,” aspirating the liquid through a glass straw on the side. Perfect for a Halloween get-together!

Pros:

  • Made out of food-safe Borosilicate Glass

  • Microwaveable

Cons:

  • Delicate

Beaker Wineglass

Here’s a fun wine glass for the STEM crowd - a wine glass designed to look like a beaker! This would make a good white elephant gift for a doctor, nurse, scientist, science teacher, or science grad. Or, maybe gift it to someone who is “experimenting” with new types of wine!

Pros:

  • Handblown

  • Made from authentic laboratory glass

  • Foodgrade

Cons:

  • Due to the handmade nature of the product, there might be slight variations in the glass and robustness of the graduation labeling


Hourglass Wine Glass and Martini Glass

One side is a wine glass, the other side is a martini glass. Visually, this represents an hourglass. Cool, right? This could be a good gift for a martini lover who also enjoys wine, or perhaps someone who is a fan of Days of Our Lives.  

 
 

Pros:

  • Design is complementary to many other styles of glassware

Cons:

  • Due to the handmade nature of the product, there might be slight variations in the glass 

Mason Glass / Ball Glass Wine Jar

This funny wine glass is a staple in steakhouse gift shops and Cracker Barrel stores: the Mason Jar Wine Glass. This item may make for a nice white elephant gift.

 
 

Pros:

  • Made in USA

Cons:

  • Can be difficult to drink from - the opening is small 

  • Better to handwash

Miniature Wine Glasses

Technically these are shot glasses, but we can think of lots of fun ways to pass them off as “mini wine glasses.” We envision them decorating wedding tables or being used as decorations for a bachelorette party or wine lover’s birthday party. Or, buy a set to have a little fun with that friend who always says “Sure, I’d like to try a little bit of that wine - just a little.”

 
 

Pros:

  • Lead-free, food-grade glass

Cons:

  • Small, even small for a shot glass

Aerating Wine Glass

Have a friend who is obsessed with wine aeration and aeration gadgetry? This will make the perfect gift - fun, but fragile! Also makes for a good conversation starter at parties.

 
 

Pros:

  • Unique design

  • Conversation starter

Cons:

  • Delicate, easy to break

  • Difficult to clean

Halloween Zombie Wine Glass

Perhaps you know a wine enthusiast with a dark sense of humor. Or maybe you have a friend who loves doing the Halloween Zombie Lurch. This polyresin hand could be a fun gift. Spooky!

 
 

Pros:

  • Realistic

  • Perfect for Halloween

Cons:

  • Delicate

Christmas Wine Glass Ornament

Friends or family who collect Christmas ornaments in addition to wine may enjoy this fun wine glass ornament for their tree. Consider gifting it with a bottle of wine! This ornament might also be a good selection for a white elephant gift exchange.  

 
 

Pros:

  • A simple wine glass ornament

  • The “wine’ moves around inside the ornament

Cons:

  • Not available in “white” wine color for white wine lovers

Wine Horn

This is a good gift for someone who enjoys Renaissance Festivals, fantasy novels, or the Highland games. Enjoy wine or your favorite beverage in “the original wine glass.”  

 
 

Pros:

  • Handmade

  • Available in two sizes

Cons:

  • Not a traditional wine glass

  • Not transparent 

Floating Wine Glass

These floating wine glasses look just like traditional wine glasses, but they float! These fun glasses might be good for enjoying wine in a pool, a hot tub, or at the beach. They are generous in size and are constructed of Tritan, which is more shatterproof than acrylic.  

 
 

Pros:

  • Plastic, which is great for pool use

  • Unlike acrylic floating wine glasses that lack a base, these “glasses” can transition from the water to the patio.

Cons:

  • White wine does not show up well, you could “lose” the glass in the pool due to the lack of color

Funny Wine Glasses Wrap-Up

We hope you’ve enjoyed our round-up of funny wine glasses! Though some wine lovers profess a desire to drink only from traditional wine glasses, there are often occasions to cut loose, not take oneself so seriously, and enjoy a funny wine glass or two!

Cheers!