Aervana' Essential Electric Wine Aerator Sets Up Quick

We purchased the Aervana Essential Electric Wine Aerator so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.

We like wine, but more in a casual “this one is affordable and bubbly” kind of way. With that said, we’ve always been curious about the intricacies of wine and exploring how an aerator might improve our tipples sounded quite intriguing. The Aervana Essential Wine Aerator promises to impart a “fuller, smoother” taste to your glass of wine, but many products promise things they don’t deliver on, so we were curious to see if it’d actually make a discernible difference. After purchasing the aerator and a new bottle of Spanish red, we got to work testing the gadget. Read on for our assessment of its performance, ease of use, care, and competition. 

Performance: Subtle taste changes

Aerators improve wine by allowing it to “breathe.” If you’re looking for a more scientific explanation, these tools introduce oxygen which changes the chemistry of your wine. As wine breathes, volatile compounds evaporate (bye-bye, sulfites) and then it oxidizes—AKA undergoes a chemical reaction that can enhance overall flavor and aroma. 

Though most wines won’t be harmed by aeration, some—most white wines, basically—won’t be improved, either. You’ll notice the biggest difference in taste with complex reds, which is why we picked up Campo Viejo’s 2016 Rioja Tempranillo—an affordable Spanish red. 

The Aervana is comprised of two pieces: a long tube and the actual aerator. The tube attaches to the aerator and then the whole thing attaches to the top of your wine bottle via a rubber stopper. Since the aerator is electric, it’s powered by batteries—so you don’t have to do anything other than press a button and wait. Just note that the aerator doesn’t come with batteries. Fortunately, we had six AAAs sitting unused in a drawer but if you don’t have any, make sure you pick them up ahead of time. While six batteries feels like a lot, the manual promises they’ll last 250 bottles before needing to be replaced. 

After taking care of the battery situation, we uncorked our wine and got ready to complete our test. We filled our control glass with non-aerated wine and then attached the aerator to the top of the bottle. This proved extremely simple and we found it fit snuggly. With our wine glass placed under the spout, we pressed the button and waited to see what would happen. We were surprised when our wine came out much faster than anticipated and because of the high-speed pour, we were left with a lot of air bubbles. After tasting both our control wine and aerated wine a few times, we concluded that there was a definite change in taste and we preferred the aerated glass. It had a smoother overall taste, but the biggest difference was in the aftertaste which mellowed out enough to lose its bitter edge. 

Ease of Use: Quick setup and good for parties

There isn’t much set up involved with the Aervana, so you can get to enjoying your glass quickly. While it’s simple enough to use for a nightly post-work drink, we think it makes the perfect party companion. Its easy, one-touch functionality is simple enough for guests to figure out and unlike manual aerators, there’s less potential for mess. 

The one downside is that the Aervana won’t fit all wine bottles. This aerator is designed to fit 750 mL wine bottles, specifically. Since it needs a suctioned fit to pull wine up into the spout, it won’t work on bottles with a larger opening.

Care: Easy to clean—unless you’re a germaphobe

The major benefit of this wine aerator is its obviously its one-touch functionality, but with six batteries inside, you can’t just stick it under a faucet to clean it. If you’re drinking multiple bottles of wine in a night and you don’t want to cross contaminate, a thorough clean will be in order. 

There are two pieces you’ll need to clean: the tube and the aerator which houses the unit’s internal pump. The first can easily be cleaned out with water and a small cleaning brush (like those for reusable straws), but the aerator is a little trickier to clean. You can still wash it out with water, but you have to be careful and avoid getting the battery compartment wet. Instead of taking it apart, you could also fill an empty wine bottle with water and use it to flush out the aerator. We were fine doing this, but if you’re someone who likes to make sure everything is 100 percent clean, you may be frustrated by the lack of direct access to the aerator’s pump. 

Price: Average for type

With an MSRP of $60, the Aervana is competitively priced among other electric wine aerators. Depending on your usage, though, you may prefer to purchase a manual-style aerator which generally costs just $20. 

Aervana Essential Electric Wine Aerator vs BOUARTS Wine Aerator

The one-touch BOUARTS Wine Aerator works nearly the same as the Aervana though it has a slightly different look. The BOUARTS is black and gold and looks quite fancy—making it the perfect conversation piece for parties. The aerator costs roughly $50 and claims to provide “six times more surface area oxidation than your average gravity-injected funnel,” therefore leaving your wine with a smoother, fuller-bodied flavor. BOUARTS says the aerator works well with Scotch whisky, as well, so if you’re an avid drinker of both, you’ll get more use out of it.