February 2016 Wine Product Roundup (Also… Late…)

In the words of the Violent Femmes, “it’s just a habit.”

Seriously, this late-monthly-product-review thing is becoming a bit embarrassing. But late again I am, because, well, my life is kind of bonkers. Awesome, but bonkers.

Anyway, today I present my take on another wine product sample, a take that was technically meant to be published last month, but technically I got all, like, too busy an’ stuff.

This last month, I gave a sample of the Tribella wine aerator (about $40) the once-over. Tribella is the brain-child of Skip Lei, who wrote to me that the product is an attempt to “complete the circuit of beauty from the bottle to the glass; My simple goal was to make the wine the hero, not some device.”

Simple, maybe, but loftily stated.

At this point, you might be almost as sick of wine aerator products as I am, but the Tribella actually has quite a bit going for it. First and foremost, this portable little ditty meets Lei’s primary aim, which he expressed was to create an aerator that “allows the existing wine to naturally catch a breath.” The product does a very good job of aerating wine without subsequently beating the living hell out of the juice.

While in its case it looks like a medical blood-drawing instrument from straight out of from the Alien movies, once inserted into the neck of a wine bottle the petite Tribella takes on a much more aesthetically-pleasing air. It’s separation of the wine being poured into three streams is relatively quiet, effective, and almost hypnotic in appearance (think picturesque fountain waterfall). Even your kids will think it’s cool. It’s also sturdy, and the non-drip pouring action is a nice bonus.

The best thing about it? It might be the dead-easiest wine aerator to clean. Rinse it in tap water, and you’re done.

The bad news? It costs forty bucks. To me, that seems a bit too steep for this nifty little gadget, as much as I’ve come to enjoy using it. But the bottom line? The Tribella delivers, even if expensively.

Cheers!