What Wine Gadgets Do I Actually Need?

As someone who works in wine, spends a lot of their day thinking about it, and most of their evenings drinking it, people think I’m really easy to buy gifts for. And they’re all to do with wine. Loved ones think I want the latest wine gadget, some Wallace and Gromit-style contraption that promises to aerate, swill and drink your wine for you. It’s a huge industry, and because there’s a certain degree of faking it til you make it involved in wine, many nascent winos will think that buying shitloads of equipment is the fast-track to looking like they know their stuff. But take it from me, all anyone needs is a couple of stalwart pieces in their utensil drawer.

Sounds obvious, right? As in, “Hannah, how else would I get into my wine?” But I’m not just talking about any old corkscrew. I’m talking about the one you see actual wine professionals use in restaurants. It looks like a Swiss army knife, but it isn’t. It’s called a waiter’s friend (but is also referred to as a corkscrew). The device folds out with a little knife to attack the wax/capsule, a screw component and an arm that allows you to get some purchase as you ease the cork out. I’ve yet to find a wine opening device that offers as much ease as a free waiter’s friend I got at an event. You really don’t need anything else.

This is another one I get a lot: do I really need a decanter? The answer is, frustratingly, yes and no. Decanters exist to increase the surface area of the wine, allowing more of it to come into contact with the oxygen and develop its flavours and aromas. It's the same reason wine people swill their glasses. So, do you need one? It depends on what kind of wines you like to drink, because not every wine needs to be decanted. If you’re always drinking simple, young, natural wines, then it’s unlikely you’ll get much more from the wine when you decant it. However, if you’re a fan of more complex wines that have a bit of age, then a good decanter should be a part of your arsenal. It doesn’t need to be expensive, either. This one from Zara has served me well for many years, and it’s so gorgeous that even wine industry people ask me where it’s from.

Again, an obvious statement. You need glasses. But you need to get them right. Too often have I gone round to a well meaning friend’s house, only to have the really rather nice bottle of wine™ I brought around served in thick, green tumblers or silver goblets. We must do our wines justice. So, what you’ll need is the appropriate stemware. And you don’t need six different types of glasses for each wine, just one. A tulip glass - the shape of wine glass with a narrow rim and a wide bowl - is all you’ll need. The wide base increases the wine’s contact with oxygen (just like a decanter) and the narrow rim captures all of the aromas at the top of the glass. Try this one from Zara Home (my affinity for their glassware knows no bounds). All the better to sniff you with.