While most table decanters can be very sophisticated, they do take some time to let a wine breathe and sometimes you just don’t have time to wait! Well now there’s a new gadget that helps you get to wine tasting faster…

The Spreathe is an in-bottle aerator that you stick in your freshly opened bottle of wine and, within a few minutes, it decants the wine for you there and then! The way it works is that it gently moves wine through air by multiplying the wine/air surface contact; allowing wine to breathe 10 times faster than regular decanting.

You can get one free (regular price is HK$230) at AtStyle Wine right now when you buy a case of mix New Zealand wines from now till January 4, 2011.

Here are a few questions and answers about the Spreathe that you may have:

We make perfect wines, how could Spreathing improve my perfection?

Spreathing does not, and cannot, improve a wine, it only improves the enjoyment of wine. Use music as an example: it’s the same pianist, the same violinist, the same musicians, yet Spreathe simply synchronizing their music to come together as a symphony.

Every so often when I bring home a wine after a taste session, it just doesn’t taste the same, why is that?

When you go for a wine tasting, the wine has been breathing for a while and therefore tastes great. When you bring it home, chances are that it has not been breathing for long enough.

Are there guidelines as to how wines should be Spreathed?

There is nothing more honest than blind tasting..
Pour 2 ounces of wine into a “reference” glass” and, as you Spreathe your wine, blind taste it every 3 minutes until you find it “opened”. Go back to your reference glass every now and then to compare the difference. You will be surprised that you have been drinking wines not in the “golden moment” in the past.

What kind of wines should be Spreathed, and what kind should not?

This is a difficult question to answer mainly because nowadays most wines are mixed varietals, made with several grapes. However, generally New World wines need less breathing than Old World wines.

Young wines need less breathing than old wines.

Wines with pronounced bouquets like some Pinot Noir should not be Spreathing too long, probably no more than 10 minutes.

Wines with high alcohol content, e.g. beyond 15%, will need less breathing or no breathing at all.

Few people decant white wines but we found short spreathing (circa 3 minutes) actually improves some whites.

We are a wine producer, what kind of service can we expect from Spreathe Ltd. for suggested guidelines for our wines?

The best way is to get your own Spreather, and taste your wine until you find the golden moment, then add the “Spreathing suggestion” label onto the bottle.

You may also send in your bottles to us and our panel will taste it for you and give you suggestions. There is no fee charged at the moment.

Get your FREE Spreathe now and start opening up those bottles of wine faster!

Take a journey of pure discovery at the New Zealand pavilion at the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair coming up 4-6 November 2010. There is no need for you to visit New Zealand when over 200 wines from 36 wineries from all over New Zealand descend onto Hong Kong and meet the winemakers in person!

Taste wines from: Abbey Cellars, Ager Sectus Wine Estates, Alpha Domus, Amisfield, Ara Wines, Askerne Winery, Awatere River Wines, Babich Wines, Bayview Estate, Bouldevines Wines, Bridge Pa Vineyard, Chard Farm , Coopers Creek, Desert Heart , Domain Road Vineyard, Felton Road, Gladstone Vineyard, Grasshopper Rock , Haythornthwaite Wines, Invivo Wines, Kaimira Wines, Konrad Wines, Lowburn Ferry, Man O’ War Vineyards, Mt Beautiful Wines, Ngatarawa Wines, Olssens, Pisa Range, Quartz Reef, Rock Ferry Wines, Rockburn, Schubert Wines, Soljans Estate Winery, Staete Landt Vineyard, Summerhouse, Te Mara Estate, Three Miners, Tohu Wines, Two Gates Vineyard, Two Rivers of Marlborough, Vinoptima Estate, Vynfields, Waipara Downs Wines, Waitiri Creek Wines , West Brook Winery, Wooing Tree and  Zepelin Wines – whew!

For more information about New Zealand Wine visit their comprehensive new website created just for us: www.nzwineevents.hk

Want to taste some reds from New Zealand, Australia and France? Head on down to Red Wine Village at shop 217, Man Yee Building. Taste the following wines:

• Cable Station Marlborough Pinor Noir 2004
• Cable Station Marborough Chardonay 2005
• Ralph Fowler Shiraz 2003
• Chateau La Croix Chantelcaille Saint Emillon Grand Cru 2005
• Chateau Rose St Croix 2005

Its a free tastings, so drop by after work, but don’t be too late as they will only be serving till stock lasts.

Details:

• Date: 2 July 2009 (Thursday)
• Time: 5:00-7:00 pm
• Venue: Shop 217, Man Yee Building Arcade, 67 Queen’s Rd, Central, HongKong
• Tel: 3426-9988

Wine Tasting on the March 26 at Beso, new bar in Central. Wine is normally not the drink of choice at the Rugby Sevens but the New Zealand and Austria Wine Tasting Club is taking this opportunity to promote New Zealand wine.
Here’s the first Hong Kong Rugby Seven New Zealand wine tasting night!

What’s being served?

• Hawke’s Bay red 05 Syrah – Bronze Decanter awards,
• 06 Pinot Noir – Bronze Air NZ wine award 06, White 07
• Chardonnay – Sliver Air NZ wine awards 07 & 06
• Pinot Gris Bronze medal – Mercedes Benz 05/06 and Air NZ wine award 2006

How much?

• $220 per person for wine tasting including snacks.
• RSVP required

Wine Tasting Details

• When: 26 March 2009
• Time: 8-10.30pm
• Where: Beso, 39A Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong
• Tel: 65931859
• www.wineatstyleint.com