I always connected with the princess Ariel as a kid. Sure, she was one of the more sassy, opinionated princesses of the '90s. She was a mermaid and had a cute fish as a best friend. But, what I really liked about her was her impressive collection of home goods.
I personally love any kind of gadget or gizmo, whether it makes my life easier or is simply aesthetically pleasing. When it comes to wine accessories, there is so much out there. And like Ariel, I want more.
Here's my rundown of which glasses to use for different kinds of wines, plus all of the accessories you need in your home. I'm not saying you should trade your voice to a sea witch for these things, but they're pretty great.
Wine Glass 101
Bubbly: For sparkling wines, use a narrow flute to preserve the bubbles and keep them fresh while you sip.
White Wine: Use a longer, more narrow U-shaped glass for a white wine to help maintain the cooler temperature. Go even more narrow for buttery and oaky wines to taste it on the back of your tongue.
Red Wine: Use a wider, fishbowl type of glass for red wine to give it the proper oxygenation.
Rosé: Use a tapered glass that gets more narrow at the top for a sweet rosé to allow the wine to touch the tip of your tongue first, which is ideal for tasting sweetness.
Best Bottle Opener
I don't like to work too hard when opening a bottle of wine. My favorite style of bottle opener is a continuous-turn corkscrew. With this one, you align the corkscrew straight over the center of the cork and start turning the handle on the top. It twists through the entire cork and also pulls it up out of the bottle without you having to change directions or stop twisting.
Once it's all the way out, just unscrew the cork off of your bottle opener, and you're done!
Try this Le Creuset Activ-Ball Corkscrew:
Perfect Wine Preserver
If you and your partner regularly drink just one glass each at dinner and like to save the rest of the bottle for later, a wine preserver set is a must-have in your home. The OXO Steel wine preserver is super inexpensive but effective! It comes with two stoppers so if someone in your home drinks red and someone else is drinking white, you can preserve both bottles at the same time. Just place the stopper in the bottle and use the pump to remove the air from the bottle.
Dazzling Decanters
When entertaining friends, I think it is so fun to go all-out with the presentation. When serving wine to your table, opt for a decanter that coordinates with your home decor and table settings. You'll truly feel like the hostess with the mostest. Here are some of my favorite styles, but shop around and find one that is perfectly your taste.
Decanter Drying Stand | Aerating Decanter | Wine Chilling Decanter with Ice Cup
Duo Decanter | Elegance Accent Decanter | Wine Decanter in Gold
What are your favorite wine accessories for your home? Let me know if I need to be part of that world!
Follow Hayley Hyer @hayhyer