Spoil yourself with these wine accessories

An American oak bottle

Oak Bottle Mini 100% American Oak Whiskey Barrel, Original Fast Oak Barrel Aged Taste

Oak Bottle

amazon.com

$99.95

This American oak bottle is like a portable wine barrel. So you can take your cheap red wine, throw it in the bottle for a couple of hours, and come away with a fancy vintage stored in oak. Or pretty close, at least. It’ll make your wine taste like an expensive bottle of the good, aged stuff without a two-year wait or a $100 price tag. And because you can just wash it out and reuse it, you’re not limited to wine either. Anything that’ll benefit from a good oak infusion will taste great in here; rum, bourbon, tequila, and even vinegars and hot sauce. Plus, it’s stylish and modern so will look at home in any minimalistic kitchen or dining room.  

Wine coolers

Whiskey Stones Set of 8 Stainless Steel Diamond Shaped Metal Ice Cubes

NIFTY5

amazon.com

$25.95

Vinglace Wine Chiller in Stainless Steel at Nordstrom

Vinglace

nordstrom.com

$89.95

Corkcicle Classic 12 Ounce Triple Insulated Stainless Steel Stemless Travel Cup with Lid, Matte Black

Corkcicle

amazon.com

$34.95

Nobody wants warm wine or bubbles. But equally, we don’t want to be diluting something which took a winemaker months of careful consideration and painstaking preparation to produce. But with outdoor meetups much more common thanks to COVID and summer temperatures only months away, you’ve gotta keep that wine chilled. I’m a person who likes my white and rosé so cold that the glass practically sweats, so I’ve taken to using a multi-pronged approach to keep the nectar of the gods nice and cool.  

First, you’ll want “ice cubes” which aren’t actually made of water and won’t dilute your wine: these ones look pretty and stay nice and cold. And of course, they can be reused. Secondly, you’ll want a chiller for your wine bottle. I love this one, because you don’t have to keep taking the bottle in and out when you want to pour it, which equals more chilling time and no wet hands. And thirdly, you want a glass which keeps your wine extra cold too. There’s a time and a place for lovely crystal glasses, of course, but when you just want ice cold wine, you can’t beat the Corkcicle triple insulated tumbler. Personally, I love it in the copper and walnut wood colours but you do you! 

If you’re more of a decanter person, this one allows you to chill and decant your wine at the same time. Plus it looks gorgeous as part of a dinner table set up or sat on your coffee table when friends come round for a drink or two.  

Wine openers

Ethan+Ashe Vagnbys Wings Corkscrew in Matte Black

Ethan+Ashe

nordstrom.com

$50.00

The Original Vacu Vin Wine Saver with 2 Vacuum Stoppers – Black

Vacu Vin

amazon.com

$13.95

Then there are the actual wine tools you’ll need. No more opening bottles with that $1 corkscrew from college, please. Take out your fancy Nordstrom bird-inspired corkscrew with a flourish instead, and open that bottle with pride! You’ll also want a Vacu Vin wine preserver, just in case you don’t finish the bottle (no matter how unusual that is!). When you use one of these, air is prevented from making contact with the wine and your opened bottles stay fresh and taste great for up to a week. Which means you don’t need to hesitate about opening a bottle just for one glass!   

A book about wine 

Big Macs & Burgundy: Wine Pairings for the Real World

Harry N. Abrams

amazon.com

$15.77

And finally, you might want to add “Big Macs & Burgundy: Wine Pairings For The Real World” to your bookshelf too. While we all know a crisp white wine pairs well with lobster, it’s more likely you’re going to be drinking it alongside your Chinese takeout. Which is fine! And this book gets that, so you can pick wine which suits your actual eating habits, not your imagined ones.