Can You Only Use Wine Aerators with Red Wine?

If you’ve ever seen anyone using a wine aerator, the chances are you’ve seen them using it with red wine. Where does this leave white wine? Does it mean you cannot use white wine with an aerator, or is it simply that it doesn’t work with white wine in the same way that it does with red wine?

Here’s the truth

Wine aerators are created to be used over and over again. This means you can simply wash it out and re-use it no matter how many different wines you pour through it. As such there is no change in the design with regard to pouring a red wine or a white wine through the aerator.

Most people use one with red wines precisely because red wine is in need of proper aeration if you are going to get the best out of it. Red wines tend to be heavier and rather full bodied compared to white wines, so it is important to aerate them fully if you are to appreciate the taste. It is recommended that you try un-aerated red wine and then aerated red wine so you can appreciate the difference between them.

When it comes to white wine the process of aeration is not as important as white wines are lighter and not as full bodied. However you should still notice a difference when you perform the test described above. You will still notice that there are differences in how you taste the wine with or without aeration; it’s just that the differences will be less noticeable. Some people don’t worry about aerating white wine but in truth you should still do it – some whites will benefit from it more than others.

Should you get two separate aerators for red and white wines?

It’s entirely up to you. The nature of a wine aerator means it is fully washable and re-usable, so you can buy just the one and save some money in doing so. However if you entertain a lot and you regularly serve red and white wine, you will definitely benefit in having two wine aerators, one for each type of wine. This simply saves time in not having to wash the aerator in between pouring different glasses and decanters of wine for your guests.

Many companies that produce wine aerators – such as the Wine Weaver for example – produce their aerators in different finishes. This makes it easy to tell which one is designed for which wine, so you can always keep the two of them separate.

In short, it makes sense to get the most from every bottle of wine you buy. As such it is worth investing in two wine aerators for red and white wine, so you can use them whenever you need to. This is the best way to get the most out of your aerators, since you now know you can use them quite happily with both types of wine. You could even try them with a rose!

Filed under: Wine Aeration

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