what does a wine aerator do

A wine aerator is a device that exposes wine to air in order to trigger oxidation and evaporation, which can enhance the wines flavor and aroma. By introducing air into the wine, an aerator can expedite the decanting process, which is the process of letting wine "breathe" by expanding its surface area and increasing its contact with air. Aerators work by dispersing the wine through various spouts or by forcing the wine to interact with air to accelerate oxidation and evaporation. The Coravin Aerator, for example, attaches to any Coravin Timeless system and rapidly aerates wine as it is poured, yielding silky, smooth, aromatic results equivalent to decanting for 60-90 minutes. Some benefits of using a wine aerator include enhancing the taste of the wine in seconds and changing the wine's flavors and aromas. However, some wine enthusiasts argue that wine aerators can skip part of the in-glass evolution and change the wine's character.