Checklist · 11 picks · 4 categories
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Buying for the friend who always brings a bottle? Bring them the gear instead.
A good opener comes first: Food Network's best manual pick fits in a pocket, its best electric one does the twisting for you, and America's Test Kitchen's winning corkscrew pulls corks easily. Glasses are next, from BestReviews' party-friendly Bormioli Rocco set to Taste of Home's stemless Riedel O tumblers. For the half-drunk bottle, ATK's winning Vacu Vin pump is cheap, and a Coravin is the big splurge that keeps a good bottle fresh for weeks. An aerator is the easy stocking stuffer. Each card shows the drawback the outlet called out, like glasses that break if you're rough with them.
Who this is not for. Skip this if they're more into mixed drinks; Gifts for Cocktail Lovers has shakers, strainers and citrus presses.
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabbit 2-Step Waiter's Corkscrew | budget | under $15 | a cheap opener that fits in a pocket or a picnic bag | 1 outlet |
| Cuisinart Electric Wine Opener | mid | $25-50 | anyone with limited hand strength or a pile of synthetic corks | 1 outlet |
| Le Creuset Table Model Corkpull | mid | $25-50 | hosts who open a lot of bottles | 1 outlet |
Best wine openerbudget pick · Pocket
Best for a cheap opener that fits in a pocket or a picnic bag
Food Network's best manual wine opener: a classic waiter's-style corkscrew with a foil cutter and a balanced weight, compact enough for a pocket.
Heads up. Can be challenging for beginners
1 outlet. Food Network best manual wine opener.
under $15
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mid pick · Countertop
Best for anyone with limited hand strength or a pile of synthetic corks
Food Network's best electric wine opener: two buttons do the work, one to pull the cork and one to release it, and a full charge opens about 50 bottles.
Heads up. Needs time to charge
1 outlet. Food Network best electric wine opener.
$25-50
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mid pick · Drawer
Best for hosts who open a lot of bottles
America's Test Kitchen's winning corkscrew: a continuous-turn opener that pulls corks easily.
Heads up. The thin plastic body flexes a little
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen winning corkscrew.
$25-50
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riedel O Wine Tumblers | splurge | $100-150 | wine nights on the couch with zero snapped stems | 1 outlet |
| Bormioli Rocco Restaurant Red Wine Glass | budget | $25-50 | stocking up for parties without stressing over breakage | 1 outlet |
| Lenox Tuscany Classics Wine Glasses | mid | $50-100 | a classic stemmed set for white wine | 1 outlet |
Best wine glassessplurge pick · Set of 8
Best for wine nights on the couch with zero snapped stems
Taste of Home's best stemless wine glasses: a set with rounder tumblers for red and slimmer ones for white and rosé, and its testers said the shapes made wine taste better.
1 outlet. Taste of Home best stemless wine glasses.
$100-150
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budget pick · Red wine glass
Best for stocking up for parties without stressing over breakage
BestReviews' best bang for the buck wine glass set: excellent clarity and quality construction, and cheap enough to buy several sets for a bigger party.
Heads up. They're delicately made and could break easily if you don't treat them with care
1 outlet. BestReviews best bang for the buck wine glass set.
$25-50
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mid pick · Stemmed
Best for a classic stemmed set for white wine
Taste of Home's best classic wine glasses: a top pick among its testers, sturdy and comfortable to hold, with thicker glass that's easier to wash.
1 outlet. Taste of Home best classic wine glasses.
$50-100
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacu Vin Original Wine Saver | budget | $15-25 | the friend who never finishes a bottle in one night | 1 outlet |
| Coravin Pivot+ Wine Preservation System | splurge | $150-200 | someone who likes one glass of the good stuff at a time | 1 outlet |
| Coravin Timeless Three+ Wine Preservation System | splurge | $200-300 | collectors who keep lots of corked bottles open at once | 1 outlet |
Best wine preserverbudget pick · Pump and stoppers
Best for the friend who never finishes a bottle in one night
America's Test Kitchen's winning wine saver: an inexpensive manual pump that's easy to use and helped preserve wine well, with silicone stoppers that sealed tight.
Heads up. After two weeks the wines were still fragrant but a little less fresh-tasting
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen winning wine saver.
$15-25
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splurge pick · Handheld
Best for someone who likes one glass of the good stuff at a time
America's Test Kitchen's upgrade pick wine saver: it injects argon, an inert gas, into the bottle, and wines tasted almost as fresh as new after a month.
Heads up. Pouring was a little strenuous, and it comes with just one argon capsule
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen upgrade pick wine saver.
$150-200
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splurge pick · Handheld
Best for collectors who keep lots of corked bottles open at once
Food Network's best wine preserver for natural corks: an off-center needle pours through the cork without pulling it, and the bottle reseals when the needle comes out.
Heads up. Only works with natural corks, and it's pricey
1 outlet. Food Network best Wine Preserver for Natural Corks.
$200-300
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Best wine aeratorbudget pick · Bottle top
Best for a stocking-size gift that also saves the rest of the bottle
BestReviews' best bang for the buck wine aerator and NBC Select's easiest-to-use pick: it aerates, filters, pours and doubles as a spill-proof stopper.
Heads up. The only color available is black
2 outlets agree. BestReviews best bang for the buck wine aerator. NBC Select easiest to use wine aerator.
under $15
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budget pick · Bottle top
Best for opening a young red without waiting on a decanter
NBC Select's best on-bottle aerator: it fits easily into the bottle's opening and is simple to set up, and two of its experts named Vinturi a brand to know.
1 outlet. NBC Select best on-bottle aerator.
$15-25
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means three independent outlets recommend a pick, means one, and limited evidence means none has yet. I research these picks. I have not tested them myself. How I pick · Broken link, wrong price range or an outdated pick? Tell me
A way to save the bottle. America's Test Kitchen's upgrade pick, the Coravin Pivot+, uses argon gas, and its wines tasted almost as fresh as new after a month. On a smaller budget, ATK's winning Vacu Vin pump still kept wines fragrant after two weeks.
For anyone with weak or sore hands, yes. Food Network named the Cuisinart Electric Wine Opener its best electric pick and says it's good for arthritic hands, though it needs time to charge.
Both made Taste of Home's picks: Lenox Tuscany Classics as the best classic stemmed glass and Riedel O tumblers as the best stemless, with separate shapes for red and white.
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