A Wine Connoisseur I am not. You might even say I am somewhat intimidated by wine and the wine culture. While I do enjoy a glass of wine now and again, I tend to rely heavily on the knowledge of my friends to choose the wine. I play it safe when purchasing wine for home and stay within my comfort zone gravitating toward the sweeter, lighter wines and sticking with a few tried and true favorites. My dining experiences with darker wines caused me to avoid them for fear I wouldn’t enjoy the stronger tasting flavors.
When I was given the opportunity to review the Soirée bottle top wine aerator, I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to expand my horizons. The Soirée promised to help improve the aroma and flavor of any wine. Maybe it could help me develop a bit more confidence when selecting and enjoying a darker wine.
My first stop was the Soirée website to read a bit about the product and the importance of aerating wine. Two sections, Why Decant and Soirée Science, provided me with valuable information. I learned that oxygen actually stimulates wine bringing out flavors and smells that are lying dormant. Did you know the aroma of wine actually changes as it sits in your glass? The longer it sits, the more oxygen it is exposed to, the better it smells and tastes. A few swirls in the glass actually aerates the wine even more. The Soirée eliminates both the wait time and the need to swirl. Pouring wine through the Soirée aerates the wine and infuses it with oxygen as it pours into your glass.
Before addressing the actual testing of the Soirée, I want to talk a bit about the product itself. First, it is stunning. Elegant hand blown glass is not something that you would typically associate with the term “gadget.” While beautiful to look at, it is a fragile object and care must be taken in the use and cleaning of this product. An included stand doubles as a drying rack so this helps to avoid breakage while storing and drying your Soirée. Unlike traditional wine aerators where the wine is poured through the aerator, the Soirée actually fits directly into the opening of the wine bottle. It does come with two sizes of gaskets which fit most bottles, but it does not accommodate all bottle openings. A larger size or a more universal gasket would be a nice addition.
My experience has always been pour the wine, drink the wine. Perhaps this “from bottle to glass to lips” method contributed to my apprehension towards dark wines. The wine was never given the opportunity to win me over with its true flavors.
To test the Soirée, I selected a 2008 Alamos Malbec from Argentina. After reading up on the 100 point system for evaluating wine, I chose this wine as it consistently rated 87+ and earned a 90 from Wine Spectator. I also selected it because of its reasonable price and availability. Using my customary pour and drink method, my first sip was a little too bitter and aggressive for my liking. Despite the bite, I expected more taste and depth from such a dark wine.
I then fitted the bottle with the Soirée and slowly inverted the bottle above my glass. I loved watching the Soirée in action as the wine swirled within the glass ball and tumbled into my glass. Surprisingly enough, I did not experience any splash effect. Every drop went into my glass and when I finished pouring, the wine in the Soirée slid right back into the bottle. My second sip of the Malbec was much more satisfying than the first. No longer did I detect the bitterness from the first sampling and there was a lot more flavor and depth to the wine.
My overall impression of the Soirée is that it lives up to its claims and delivers on its promises. While I may not be completely in tune with the science of wine and what makes one wine rate higher than another, as a novice wine drinker, I can truly appreciate the fact that wine tastes better when aerating with the Soirée.
To learn more about the Soirée, please visit the Soirée website.
Or to purchase a Soirée for yourself or as a gift, visit the Soirée online personal shopping cart.
This reviewer is not compensated for purchases made from links in this review. Sample product(s) were provided for testing and reviewing purposes. This item was used only for the purposes of this review.
Please see my FTC Disclaimer for more details regarding this review.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I just saw one of these aerators at a wine store yesterday and nearly bought it but didn’t know if it actually worked! I like red wines so I might have to go back and get the aerator. Btw, I just tried a Malbec for the first time last month — delicious!
.-= Catherine´s last blog ..Another Milestone =-.
very cool!
hi what an interesting topic. I didnt know this stuff existed. tks
Very good post keep going man
Hi Catherine. If you happen to pick up a Soiree, please stop back by and let me know what you think! Like I said, I noticed the difference right away and our readers would love to have another testimonial. Thanks for the comment!
Susan
.-= Susan Warren Utley´s last blog ..Soirée: Wine Aeration with a Touch of Elegance =-.
This is fit for this valentine dinner. I am thinking to set up dinner beside my garage house. hhhhmmmmm… thanks for the bright idea.
.-= David Aim´s last blog ..David Aim – Software Engineer =-.
I’ve always made sure to let my wine breathe, it’s very important to really appreciate all the true flavors. I was skeptical to try the soiree, but a friend recommended it. I just want to say I am very impressed. I’ve been using it all the time, and I love it!
It is a great conversation piece as well. I can’t wait to meet up with my girlfriends for our next birthday lunch. I’m bringing my Soiree!
I’m a big wine enthusiast and love finding new gadgets to try out and this one looks really handy. I’m also a big fan of the Ravi Instant Wine Chiller. If you like this product you should check out the Ravi Wine Chiller too .