Wine accessories abound these days, a lot of them being wine glasses with a clever pun on it. Unfortunately, past the first wow factor, which made you click, add to basket, it is rather difficult to find items that are actually useful. Is a leather strap around your neck holding your wine glass truly a solution? I have my doubts. But let’s not throw away the whole case after finding just one corked bottle. Some inventions are handy, some are even indispensable and here they are:

1. The waiter’s friend

Corkscrews come in many shapes and sizes. This classic design will never let you down. Invest in a high quality model, it will still be cheap and it will last a lifetime. It does require some skill to open a bottle with, but you’ll soon get the hang of it after doing it a couple of times.

2. The Bilame

This bottle opener was designed with older bottles in mind. In many older bottles the cork deteriorates; piercing it with a traditional corkscrew could cause the cork to crumble and fall apart. With this opener you slide both ends between the cork and the inside of the bottleneck. Once both ends are completely in, you twist and pull to remove the cork, avoiding any messy cork damage.

3. Vinnebago

Keeping wine cool without a fridge in the vicinity is tricky. This cooler will keep your wine, or any other beverage for that matter, at the same temperature for a stunning 25 hours. What more is there to say?

4. Wine disc

I’ve always wondered why no one ever bothered redesigning the wine bottle. It’s easy to pour almost every beverage that comes in a glass bottle without dripping except for wine. Pulling off the elegant twist and lift without spilling a drop certainly looks impressive, yet so few of use are able to. These handy discs are simply folded and shoved in the bottleneck and goodbye drips and stains. They’re cheap, reusable and quick to use.

5. Wine pump and rubber corks

Generally the best tools for keeping wine from oxidising. You simply put one of the rubber corks on the bottle and suck most of the air out of it with the pump. It’ll keep your opened bottle fresh for a couple of days.

6. Coravin

Speaking of wine going bad. This nifty instrument is quite expensive yet does its job extremely well. It allows you to enjoy a glass of wine from any bottle without having to open it and leaving the wine inside virtually untouched. This tool enters a medical grade needle into the cork allowing you to pour out as much as you want. After this it pumps harmless argon gas in the bottle filling up what you poured out. This way you can consume a bottle over the course of ten, twenty or even a hundred years.

7. Riedel Swan Decanter

It is probably less practical than other decanters, it’s ludicrously expensive but it’s so gorgeous. Once in a while a splurge on items that are less practical is important as well, so if you do, go for this one.

Cheers.