Areators, what?

Dear readers,

Have you ever wondered how and if the areators for red wine work? Well, let’s find out.

Recently, I have seen many types of this kind of accessory, which are different from the traditional decanter: they don’t have the function of decanting the red wine sediments, but allow to oxygenate the red wine very quickly. It’s an handy accessory: for example, if we have guests for dinner and we don’t have time to open bottles an hour or two before drinking it!

I really like this type of aerator, the Ventorosso, ease to use, with a very linear and functional design: it is composed of a base, to be placed above the glass, and a sphere on which you pour the red wine, so as to increase its surface exposed to air, “opening” it faster than a simple wine rotation in the glass.

Let’s go a bit ‘in detail to see how it works.

I did a test with the Chianti Classico Le Ellere by Castello d’Albola.

NO VENTOROSSO: At the nose, perfumes of cherry, red fruit, a bit of wood, vanilla, tobacco, but it’s pretty close. On the palate, the wine is fresh, dry, rather elegant, medium tannin, sap.

WITH VENTOROSSO: A wider and rounded nose, plus a better perception of the flowers’ fragrance. The wine’s characteristics are very similar, but the tannin is much more rounded on the palate!

Pro: Easy to use, since it is composed of two simple and easy-washable pieces, with the possibility to use upon different glasses size; Rapid oxygenation; Improving the roundness of red wine, especially on the palate.

Cons: Not to be used with old red wines, as this may oxidize too much, ruining it. Furthermore, some sensations are perceivable by experts (eg. sensations perceived by the nose)

In conclusion, I highly recommend it to those who want to drink a young red wine and better appreciate its features and roundness. Furthermore, the simplicity of use, makes the Ventorosso a simpler product compared to a decanter.

Merry Christmas!

 

Dear readers,

Here I am wishing you a very special and serene holiday for this Christmas!

Enjoy traditional and new recipes, drink good wine, eat great food and don’t forget to do what you want to do!

 

French bottles: Bordeaux, Burgonet & Alsatian

Dear readers,
Today, after having told you the story of the Albeisa bottle, I’m going on with the French bottles: the Bordeaux, the Burgonet and the Alsatian.

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The Bordeaux is probably the most used ever, both for red and white wine: originally from Bordeaux, has very pronounced shoulder which comes in handy to hinder the escape of any deposits when pouring the wine, especially if the wine aged a long time inside the bottle.

There is also the “high shoulder” version, in a narrower and longer size. It is also called the “Bordeaux Goliath” and is used for the most valuable white and red.

For the white wines, the Bordeaux is almost always transparent in color, while the red is mostly dark green or brown. Unfortunately, the transparent glass for white wines is absolutely not the most suitable color, in fact, the white wine is more delicate and sensitive to light and should be stored in bottles of a dark color.

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The Burgonet is a native of Burgundy, the famous area for its greatest Pinot Noirs. Very similar to the Albeisa, it differs in the least shoulder pronouncement.

It is made of good thickness and is transparent in color for white wines and green or brown for red wines. For its weight and its ease of storage, Burgonet has spread all around the world, becoming a kind of bottle widely used especially for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the two most representative wines of Burgundy.

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The Rhine bottle, originally from the Rhine area, is often green in color (for wines from the Mosel) or brown, and it is used for white wines from Germany and many other areas of the world. Its main feature is the lack of the shoulder.

In Alsace this bottle is called the Alsatian and differs slightly in shape. It is often colored green or brown.

A curious anecdote concerns the challenge between the wines of Bordeaux and Alsace: it is said the Alsatians went proud of their bottles without shoulder, as their red wines did not form sediments, making it qualitatively more clear than those of Bordeaux. However, we must remember in Alsace white wines are the majority, about 82% of total production, and red wines of Alsace are obtained predominantly from Pinot Noir grapes, which generally produces less sediment in the bottle compared to a Cabernet or a Merlot.

Albeisa bottle

Dear readers,
I’m glad to introduce you a new category: the Wine Curiosity!

Starting from the bottles shapes, today I talk about the “Albeisa”, the typical bottle of Piedmont in which are bottled the red Langhe wines, such as Dolcetto, Barbaresco and Barolo.

The Albeisa is a bottle of ancient origins, produced starting from the early eighteen century, when the Langa winemakers, to distinguish their wine from other types, adopted a different shape from the typical French one. The producers called this bottle Albeisa, “of Alba”.

Classic shape of an “Albeisa”.

The shape of the bottle looks like a Burgonet, from which slightly differs for the more pronounced “shoulder”, and it is often brown in color and of a good thickness. Furthermore, the main characteristic which distinguishes it from the other bottle shape is the word “Albeisa” shown along the circumference of the bottle shoulder.

“Burgonet” bottle shape.

Bordeaux bottle shape.

During the Napoleon dominion, the Albeisa was slowly replaced by the two typical French shapes, the Bordeaux and Burgonet: these were cheaper to build because their shape was more regular and was blown into molds that guaranteed a more cylindrical shape.
To reintroduce its use, in 1973, a Consortium was founded by some Langhe winemakers, with the aim of protecting this historical bottle shape and rearrange its design to modern requirements: indeed, the Albeisa can only be used by its members, respecting the defined rules.