When it comes to the rituals of wine-drinking, elegance and austerity are often the rule. Our crystal glasses, stainless steel wine racks and hand-blown decanters all impart the necessary importance to the wines we choose. It's a good thing, too, because we dropped lots of dollars for each of them. But guess what? There's a better way to impress your friends while saving your precious dough (so you can buy better wine, of course). That's right folks, a lab flask will aerate your wine just as well as your duck decanter with a geek cachet that's hard to beat. They're strong and cheap and tell you how much of that yummy Barolo you've already put down the hatch. If you really want to geek out on everyone, get the beakers and use them as stemless glasses, too. Get your own and also read Eric Asimov's NYT article about it . Don't forget your lab coat.

Labels: accessories, wine culture