The Best Wine Accessories

Buying Guide

Whether you’re new to appreciating wine or have a packed cellar of rare vintages in your home, getting all the right wine accessories can make your tasting experience much more enjoyable. But there are so many wine accessories to choose from — how do you even know where to start? As with all purchases, it’s important to think about what brings value to you.

MORE: The Best Electric Wine Opener

At the very least, you’re going to need wine glasses. While you can definitely use a regular tumbler, a stemmed glass specifically designed for wine has a specific purpose: it prevents your body heat from affecting the temperature of the wine. You’ll also probably need a wine bottle opener. While some wine bottles have screw caps, many have corks that require a special accessory to get out. A foil cutter, either attached to the corkscrew or purchased separately, is also a handy feature.

The temperature of the wine affects its taste and mouthfeel, so it’s important to make sure your wine is at the right drinking temperature. A wine bucket cooler or a wine glass cooler can help you keep the wine cool for a longer time.

One important wine accessory for red-wine lovers is the wine decanter. The process of decanting wine separates the liquid from the sediment that collects at the bottom of the bottle over time. It also aerates the wine, softening and smoothing out its flavor as it releases the aroma.

• If you’re buying wine accessories as a gift, it’s important to consider what the receiver already has. For example, if they already have three wine bottle openers, they probably won’t need a fourth. If you don’t know what they have, consider a less common accessory — like wine glass name tags that can be personalized.
• Focus on quality when it comes to wine accessories. A flimsy corkscrew may not be able to stand up to the extra-long corks in some European and vintage wine bottles. Bad corkscrews might even splinter your cork, sending pieces into your wine — and they could break in the process.
• If you’re primarily a white wine drinker, then you likely don’t need a decanter. However, if you mostly enjoy full-bodied, dense red wines, you can enhance their flavor and feel with this vessel. If you’re buying a decanter as a gift, make sure your recipient is a red-wine lover as well.
• If you like to enjoy one glass of wine at a time and don’t want to keep the entire bottle cold, you have options. You can get a chiller just for your wine glass; simply place your own stemware in the cupped area, which is temperature-controlled. Alternatively, you can get an insulated wine tumbler, which can be a bit more portable.
• For those that don’t want to clutter their homes with single-use products, consider wine accessories that serve multiple purposes. For example, you can get a wine bottle opener with an aerator attached, so you don’t need a separate decanter. As the wine pours out from the bottle, it travels through the aerator before falling into your glass.