The Aermate Wine and Spirits Aerator review

I swear my wife and her friends are in search of the perfect bottle of wine (think of it as looking for the end of the internet), and they will be on this never-ending crusade to their dying days ;). Over the years, the conversation of aeration has come up many, many times. Our various circles have tried the classic methods of oxygenating: letting the bottle stand with the cork out, using a decanter, swirling the wine/liquor in the glass, etc. The Aermate Aerator is a device designed to aerate your bottle of wine or glass of spirits much more quickly and effectively.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

The Aermate Wine and Spirits Aerator is made of food-grade stainless steel and silicone. It’s engineered to infuse air from the bottom of your drink or bottle up.

I was surprised and impressed at its material and build quality; it’s actually very well made. The metal shaft and fittings are nicely machined, with the silicone thick yet nearly effortless to use.

The business end of the Aermate Aerator is a Microbubble Tip, with holes finer and smaller than a grain of sand, half the diameter of a human hair.

Those tiny holes create a multitude of microbubbles that more effectively introduce air into your drink. According to Aermate:

“The Aerator delivers air in the form of tiny microbubbles that break down and increase surface area contact between the liquid and the air.  This maximizes oxygen exposure and total air volume delivered in a very short amount of time.”

The bubbles are so small and many, they are more like a foam than what I classically think of as “bubbles”. The microbubbles dissipate quickly. Aermate says you can use the Aerator in a full bottle of wine, but we found that it froths a lot and could easily overflow. Once the first glass has been poured, it is no longer an issue. There was some concern by a few folks that the end of the wand could break a glass if jammed into it too far/quickly/drunkenly…

Here is video by Aermate explaining/showing how their Aerator works.

Theory of Aeration (at least according to Aermate):

The reason that aeration makes these drinks better is that it unlocks the natural flavors that are resident in them.  Bourbon, scotch, wine, tequila are made from organic natural products.  Grains, corn, agave and grapes.  For wine tannins are a plant’s natural acid to protect it.  It actually comes from the German word Tannen meaning tree.   By infusing air it softens the tannins, reduces acidity, lowers sulfite levels and improving drinkability.

The Aermate Wine and Spirits Aerator is a zero-tech device, but it is clearly a gadget nonetheless. My wife, several friends, and I have tried the Aerator on various types of wines and liquor (scotch). The overall consensus is that it does mellow the flavor of drinks we used it on. That said, the Aerator is definitely easier to use than decanting and quicker than having to wait for your wine to breathe.  The Aermate Aerator is relatively inexpensive and effective at injecting air into your drink.  If you’re looking for a nicely made drinking accessory for yourself, a friend or drinking buddy the Aermate Aerator could be it.