Zazzol Wine Aerator Decanter - Multi Stage Design with Gift Box - Recommended by Business Insider Luxury Aluminum Ring

Very well designed aerator. I have been using a Vinturi for several years, which I purchased because I had hundreds of bottles of vintage red wine, many over 25 years old, and I didn't want to wait an hour or more for the wine to breathe after opening it. The Vinturi worked well. But I got a vacation home and needed another aerator. Decided on the Zazzol instead, in part because of very good Amazon reviews. I actually bought 2 Zazzols, one for my vacation place and another to replace the Vinturi, which tends to leak from the holes in the side when pouring. After a couple of uses I am very happy with the Zazzol. The first time I used it was on an '89 Krug cabernet. When I open these older bottles, the cork often crumbles and I have to use an external strainer, which came with the Vinturi. So I was disappointed to see that the Zazzol had no external strainer and because of the design, no way to easily use one. However, when I poured the wine into the glass, thinking I would have to pour it into another glass through a strainer to catch the cork particles, they were restrained by a built in strainer in the Zazzol which is not readily visable. So problem solved. I also think the multi stage design aerates the wine better than Vinturi's single stage. And by the way, the '89 Krug tasted great immediately after opening it. My second glass the following night poured through the aerator was equally good. So I recommend this product and am glad I bought 2 of them. The packaging is also quite nice and their corporate communications are quite refreshing, They care about customer satisfaction. Of course a primary motive is to elicit good reviews, but if a good review is well deserved, which is the case here, then they will (and just did) get one from me.

This is a delightful aerator. Definitely get one if you (and your guests) will be frequent drinkers. For $37, it is one of the best investments to immediately improve the taste of your drink. Moreover, you no longer have to worry about over-swirling your glass and ejecting the contents. (Whoops.) Win-win. I bought one for myself and I bought one as a gift for a friend. My friend likes it; the pour is easy and it looks classy on the stand. Also, customer service is *excellent* - I had a couple questions about the product and they were answered immediately (*within a few hours). Jen & Jill obviously put a lot of thought and love into their product and it shows in their customer service. You won't have any trouble taking a chance on these two. As for improvements, I would prefer an even wider opening to pour the wine into as it would make for easier aim. I'm not sure how the Zazzol compares to other aerators in this regard. Don't get me wrong, the pour is easy enough on the Zazzol, but you never know after an evening of drinks. Also, the box in which the Zazzol comes in looks nice and presentable, but could be classier...but hey, I wouldn't want to start paying a higher price just for a nicer box, so there's a balance to be had there. I'm going to give it five stars. Overall, I think I will go back to buy more Zazzols as gifts - especially for my friends who are just beginning to develop a wine habit and lack an aerator. After all, if you go to their house for a drink, you might as well make sure they have an aerator handy!

----EDIT #2---- The day after I posted Edit #1 I got a reasonable response about why there was no answer. It was followed by Z's response to my question about white wine. Based on the bottles I have tried since I received it about three weeks ago I would say the same as some literature says about aerators. Realizing that taste is subjective for many reasons and often just a perception, i would explain it by saying that the use of this aerator for white wine will improve the taste but the difference will not be as dramatic as it is for red wine. Based on the explanation for the lack of a timely response (more detailed to me in a private email) and the acknowledgment about white wines I have put the review back at 4*. The only thing I would add is that they are getting closer to a better and competitive price point. I think it should be around $30 with a pre-seasonal/holiday (within 10 days) price of $35. This is based on what I have seen on the bricks and mortar market and have read. The current price would be justified if they can figure out a small stand that will hold it as you pour. Perhaps a wide folding tripod style with one inch legs that can be placed in three glasses of the same or bigger size and you then only have to slide your glass under the aerator at the center. FYI Z's most recent response read as follows: "Thanks for your feedback. We sincerely apologize for not replying to your question. There was some internal miscommunication that unfortunately resulted in your query not being handled in a timely manner as it should have been. We strive to provide exceptional customer service, and we will look at ways to prevent this from occurring in the future. Thanks again for bringing this to our attention. Regarding your question about the aerator in relation to white wine, while the aerator works for both white and red wines, most people tend to notice more of a difference with red wines. Nevertheless, we have tested our aerator with different types of white wines, and depending on the wine the aerator can deliver a smoother, more fragrant glass of white wine." ----EDIT #1 ---- On Dec 26, 2013 I sent an inquiry to Z and got an immediate reply but after three weeks I still do not have an answer to the question re the use of it for white wine. From my reading it would not be necessary or effective although some say it could to a lesser degree than for red wine. Another company offers a different aerator for white wines. I have dropped my review to 3 starts. Also, it is much cheaper than it was about three weeks ago. The exchange with Z was: (ME) Question from the holiday meal: There is another company that offers an aerator for white wine that it distinguishes from its aerator for red wine. Another individual opined that white wines do not need the aeration that these aerators provide like the reds do. What is Zazzol's position on the aeration of whites and the use of the same Zazzol for both types of wine? (Z) Thank you for your inquire. We will have our wine specialist to get back to you later today or tomorrow. Thank you! Jill ***ORIGINAL REVIEW STARTS HERE*** When it arrived I washed it as directed and opened a bottle of vino. I poured one glass and let it stand for a few minutes and then consumed it via the usual ritual. It was fine. The next step was to pour a second drink in another glass using the aerator. There seemed to be a noticeable positive difference but I will be unable to be more definitive until I have at least two other wines over the next couple of weeks. I find that it has design deficiencies that should have been addressed considering the price. (1) One is that there is a small umbrella shaped piece of plastic that is removable. It is about the size of a nickel and clear plastic. It will be very easy to drop it down a drain or set it down and forget where it is or sweep it up with other items on the counter. This could have been resolved with a different color that was not clear or put a stem on it. (2) The pouch is nice but it will not contain the holder stand so that piece will have to be kept track of separately. The only possibility is to retain the box and put the pouch encased aerator and holder stand in it for next use. (3) I find it awkward to hold the aerator over the glass. The set should have come with a tripod-like stand that has a circular holder for the aerator and is tall enough to slide most glasses under it or the stand could be height adjustable. The ideal would be to have such a stand and the reversible stand could be flipped onto the aerator to act as a protective cap from dust, dander and the flying spit of guests in the area as it awaits the next pouring. Overall it is a start of the best wine accessory.

Entgegen der Beschreibung ist er nicht spülmaschinenfest. Der Ring, der Aluminum sein soll ist billig verklebt (man kann den Klebstoff gut erkennen). Schon nach dem ersten Waschgang setzt sich Wasser dahinter ab, und das Material oxidiert eklig grau und lässt das Ganze noch billiger aussehen. Wenn das nicht schon genug wäre, oxidiert/mattiert auch der äußere Teil des Rings komisch und die aufgebrachte Schrift fängt an zu verwischen. Der innere Teil ist billiges Plastik, nur die großen beiden Hauptteile fühlen sich zumindest haptisch ok an, sind aber auch Plastik (in meiner Verkäuferbeschreibung wurde Glas als Material angegeben, das ist aber ein Verkäufer-Fail). Somit ist dieses Produkt für mich billige China-Ware und seinen Preis nicht wert. Auch wenn der Geschmack "etwas" verbessert wird, macht die Optik des verwaschenen/ledierten Rings jedes gute Gefühl wieder zu nichte. Man sollte sich lieber einen richtigen Dekanter aus Glas anschaffen, als auf solche To-Go-Dinger zu setzen!

What does a 5-star rating mean? In my book it means the product works as advertised, is well-made and could not be improved upon. Also, I don't think you can usefully rate a product as the maximum after a couple of days of ownership. You need time to properly evaluate it before awarding a review and rating. I admit to stumbling upon the Zazzool by accident. I'd heard Chris Evans state on radio 2 that decanting wine really did make a difference, and was looking for a cheap way to confirm his statement. I had viewed a couple of YouTube videos praising decanters of this type and found several on eBay at varying price points. Now I'm aware of the adage you get what you pay for, so Amazon provided a useful price comparison along with reviews. It was while searching for reviews of a similar product that Amazon suggested I might like to view the Zazzool. After reading the description it sounded interesting, the excellent reviews finally made my mind up and I bit the bullet. From the 5-stars you can see I'm impressed, and I mean, *really impressed*. It really brings the taste of wine to life. The flavours and smoothness are enhanced and it's all down to this excellent product. It passed the ultimate test when, horror of horrors, I temporarily overlooked the Zazzool and poured some wine straight from the bottle into my glass. I could immediately tell the difference. The wine was thinner and sharper with few of the rounded flavours I'd been enjoying previously. The only very slight niggle I have is the lack a support when pouring, you have to hold it over the glass as your dispense. That is not enough for me reduce the star count, as you soon get used to it. There are no external holes you have to keep your fingers away from and using it soon becomes second nature. In summary, both the wife and I will not have a glass of wine at home without using it. If you are debating whether to decant your wine, then buy this. You won't be disappointed.

When you don’t want to decant an entire bottle, this works well.

This is a fabulous little gadget that is now in constant use in our household! When I decided to buy one as a gift for my husband I must confess to being a little sceptical about its claims. Well this is no longer the case. Tried lots of blind tasting and so far 100% success rate in identifying the aerated wine and that just poured out of a freshly opened bottle. It really does make a difference, taking away that acidic edge you find in cheaper red wines and creating a smooth taste more akin with more expensive ones. Tried it on my son last night and again the correct result. I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys red wine but is not willing to pay a fortune for a bottle outside special occasions. Now can't wait to take it to Portugal in the Summer to try it out on some of the very cheap 2 Euro bottles of red you can get in the Supermarket!!!!!

Bought as a Christmas gift. Appears to be good quality and the recipient loved it.