Wine Accessories: are they worth it?

I'm always a bit dubious about gadgets, especially wine ones. But recently, I put a whole load of wine chillers to the test for a piece in the Daily Mail and was left wondering how on earth I had managed thus far without a Corkcicle in my life. Seriously, this funny little pointy gadget kept a chilled bottle of white constantly cool for the whole hour *cough* it took us to finish it. No need to put it back in the fridge. Instead, I could sit down, scoff crisps, natter and not miss a thing. Genius. Anyway, a friend of mine called Daniel runs a wine shop selling all kinds of wine accessories and I asked him to share his knowledge on the stuff that he thinks really works. And because he's nice like that, he's even thrown in a Corkcicle as a prize. All you have to do is leave a comment, your name goes into a hat and someone* will pick one out at the end of the month.

Here what Daniel says:

The finest wine glasses in the world are mouth blown in Austria, by a company called Zalto.  These featherweight yet very strong glasses at £30 each, deliver flavour better than any other brand and are our most popular range.  They are the buzzword in glassware amongst wine journalists and enthusiasts alike.  Once used, any other glass will feel clumsy.

There is nothing like opening a bottle with one of the world’s finest, handmade corkscrews.  The best come from the Chateau Laguiole region near Thiers in the south of France. Priced at £100 they have to be held to be fully appreciated.  

Decanting not only leaves sediment in the bottle, it encourages oxygen to let the flavours of the wine develop, much in the same way that perfume changes over time on contact with air and warm skin.  The best funnel on the market is the Screwpull steel filtering funnel that stops any sediment getting into the wine (£30).

Serving wine at the right temperature is key and the Corkcicle (£20) can be used to keep cold white cold or inserted into warm red wine it will put the freshness back. Available in various colours.

www.aroundwine.co.uk or visit the shop at 57 Chiltern Street, London, W1U 6ND

*My Mother (and her decision is final). Other T&Cs:
1.  Competition closes on 25th August 2013 at 11.59pm
2. The prize draw is open to any UK resident over the age of 18.

Please note this is not a sponsored post. I just thought it was really useful information. And Daniel's a very nice man dude.

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