Sommelier secrets: Aerate your way to tastier wine

Life is too short to drink bad wine, but with a dismal economy most of us can't afford to drop a lot of money on Chateau Lafite.

Well, I'll let you in on a little secret: You can make bargain wines taste like the more expensive sips with one simple tool -- a wine aerator.

As you may know, wine which has been allowed to breathe tastes better. This is because incorporating air into wine helps it to open up and release its aromas and flavors. In the past, decanters were used to aerate wine. However, decanting can be time consuming, cumbersome and inconvenient. With an aerator you get the most from your wine in the least amount of time.