Have you ever poured red wine into a glass, and right at the end of the pour, an obnoxious little bit of juice jumps out of the mouth of the bottle at the last second and stains your lily-white tablecloth? Or, it drips down the neck of the bottle and onto your hand? Of course you have. And you probably know enough to use a napkin when you’re pouring, or you might have seen a restaurant sommelier gently twist the bottle clockwise and counter-clockwise at the end of the pour, and practiced the movement yourself to avoid dripping.
Admittedly, I’m a wine geek … a cork dork … a borderline snob, and I use drip collars. Yes, I know how to do that fancy little turn of the bottle, and most of the time I can keep the wine from dripping. But you know what? Most of the time, it’s not worth the effort, not when it takes all of two seconds to slip a collar over the top of the bottle and not have to think about dripping for the rest of the night. Drip collars make my life simple, easy, and stress-free. Perhaps best of all, they only cost about five bucks, and last nearly a lifetime.
It’s such a simple piece of equipment, but it is a must-have for anyone who pours red wine on a regular basis.
Click on either of the pictures, depending on which style you prefer, to buy directly from Amazon. Or visit a site like IWA to find even fancier versions.
