Haley’s Corker & the Aeration of California Wine

Pour a young tannic Cabernet through Haley’s Corker and you’ll strip out all the harsh tannins. Pour a buttery Chardonnay through Haley’s Corker and you’ll strip out the butter.

So why pour a complex Viogneir through a Haley’s Corker and turn it into Chardonnay? This happened to us while visiting Eberle Winery in Paso Robles.

On our wine host’s next table visit we asked her to pour a sample of Viogneir without Haley’s Corker, just pour it through the bottle opening. Voilà, a Viogneir as it should taste.

So many wineries throughout our Golden State of California splash wine through this aeration device without understanding its flavoring impact. Most pourers don’t know it aerates. They’ll tell us it keeps the bugs out, filters out sediments or it’s how they seal the bottle to keep the wine fresh

Then some wineries will pour peppery, young or harsh wines through the Corker to make their wines softer, more approachable. Either way we feel wineries should disclose the aeration.

But they rarely disclose the aeration. So it’s up to us consumers to understand the impact of these wonderful aerating tools. There are pros & cons.

So here’s a test for you. Purchase Haley’s Corker (most wineries sell them for $7-$8) and use it to pour a sample dollop of your favorite wine. Now pour another sample in a second glass without using the Corker. Smell and taste the two wines and see if there’s a difference. Our experience is, you will taste a difference. The inventor Jean Haley has said she can now drink Jack Daniels when it is poured through the Corker. This is the kind of impact aeration has on beverages.

It’s a wonderful tool when used correctly. But of course, it always depends on your palate, what wine you like. Use the Corker to soften up a wine when they are too big, young and bold for your liking.

But wineries please, don’t aerate Chardonnay , Viognier etc. unless the wine really needs it.

Some notes on our wine ranking system.

Bill & Erin Hodge write about California Wine, the estates & winemakers producing them and educational information about Vino. Living in California Wine Country provides a front row seat to the places you want to visit the most here in the Golden State.

– -✰  means -What’s next on your list of wines
-✰  means -Not liking it too much
✰ means  -We’ll drink this wine, especially if it’s hosted!
✰+ means -You’ve got our attention and we might buy this wine.
✰+ + means -We’re hooked and we’re going to buy this wine.
When you see -✰/✰+  with a slash, it means we disagree.