Even a gadgetphobe can operate this cordless wine preserving tool

(NJ) - There are two kinds of men in the world: those who like gadgets and those who don’t. I’m the crown prince of the latter tribe.

Since September, I’ve been operating a better mousetrap that will make a welcomed holiday gift for beginners and wine collectors alike.

Air is wine’s best friend and worst enemy. Once you remove the cork, the drink-it-or-lose-it quandary begins because of oxidation. In the 1990s, I discovered the Vacu-Vin: A rubber cork is inserted into the bottle, and using a plastic hand pump, the air is pumped out of the bottle. If done correctly, it preserved the wine for days.

“Done correctly” was the challenge.

If the bartender at Sonoma Grill, my former restaurant in East Rutherford, held the pump straight on the rubber cork and pumped until the unit stopped, then the bottle was sealed. But if the cork was not inserted correctly, or the pumping was not done until the unit stopped itself, then air would seep into the bottle and the next day the wine was spoiled.

A few months ago, I tried an electric version of the Vacu-Vin, the Waring Cordless Wine Preserver WP55. It sits on a chargeable base; you insert the wine stopper- a plastic top with a rubber stem- into the bottle and then place the cordless wine preserver over the stopper (make sure it is straight), insert it gently and when all the air is removed the unit automatically stops.

Whether the wine is white or red, I place it in the refrigerator, because along with air, heat destroys wine. I remove red wines about 30 minutes before I am going to drink the remaining portion; if it’s white, I give it about 15 minutes at room temperature, as I like white wine chilled, not cold.