Whether you are a serious collector or just starting to explore the world of wine, every wine drinker needs a well-curated collection of tools for opening, chilling, serving and storing wine. With so many options available for each of these tasks, we reached out to our partners at Crimson Wine Group – Nicolas Quillé, MW (Chief Winemaking and Operations Officer), and Andy Robinson (Winemaker at Seghesio Family Vineyards, a Crimson Wine Group winery) – to ask which wine tools are truly essential to have at home. Here are their (and our) top picks for the finest wine tools and glassware for every wine lover.
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Corkscrews and Wine Openers
The one tool that every wine lover needs is a good quality corkscrew or wine opener. Le Creuset has a wide assortment that are trusted for their effortless functionality and ergonomic design, thanks to Screwpull innovation. Nicolas and Andy prefer a restaurant-style Waiters Friend corkscrew, since “it has a bottle opener, lever and foil cutter all in one. It’s the one wine gadget everyone should have on hand.” Looking for something even easier to use? Our Compact Lever removes corks with a simple up-and-over motion, while the Pocket Model has a revolving handle that turns effortlessly with just one finger. Fans of sparkling wines will want a Champagne Star on hand as well, it’s essential for safely opening pressurized bottles. And don’t forget “an ’ah-so’ style cork pull for older vintages.”
Wine Glassware
Another essential in every home wine bar is an elegant set of glasses for serving and enjoying wine. With glasses for Red Wine, White Wine and even stemless Tumblers, Le Creuset glassware is perfect for special occasions, yet durable enough for everyday use. Thin rims and carefully shaped tulip bowls that curve inward are designed to enhance wine taste and texture, while the premium lead-free glass is engineered for greater durability. Nicolas and Andy note that the shape of a wine glass is very much a personal preference. But their suggestion is to have a “set of everyday glasses with stems, and then a set of stemless glasses for casual patio and outdoor enjoyment.”
Serving and Pouring Wine
Those that love rich, full-bodied wines will appreciate having the Simplepourer in their home bar. Similar in principle to a decanter (another essential tool, according to Nicolas and Andy), it brings out a wine’s full flavor as it’s poured while the top lip is designed to contain drips. Wine lovers that enjoy dining al fresco or on the go will love having a Wine Cooler Sleeve (or two) on hand at all times. Available in a variety of our iconic colors, store the sleeve in the freezer so it’s always ready to go. Then slip in a bottle and enjoy perfectly chilled wine in ninety minutes. The advanced interior gel not only insulates the wine and will cool it to serving temperature within thirty minutes.
Preserving Open Wine Bottles
Air is the enemy of fine wine, so the wine aficionado needs a way to preserve opened bottles at the end of the day. For a simple solution, Nicolas and Andy suggest recorking or recapping open bottles and placing them in the fridge – “even red wine will oxidize much more slowly in the fridge than on the counter.” A more high-tech solution is to use something like a Coravin, or our Metal Wine Pump which quickly pumps air out of a wine bottle with an efficient, large-capacity barrel. The vacuum stoppers are left on the bottle to create a firm seal that preserves the flavor and aroma of opened wine for up to a week. For sparkling wines, the Champagne Crown Sealer locks in carbonation and helps preserve wine for days with the airtight rubber seal.
