Wine stoppers on the shopping list

IN THE STORE

Nine out of 10 people you ask do not use them. Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but people (individuals, not restaurants or bars) who do use wine stoppers are still in a minority.

Yet, these could be mandatory if you have an open (expensive) bottle that you'd like to save up for another time since putting the cork back on doesn't prevent air from getting into the bottle and spoiling the taste of your precious liquid. Besides, corks can be tricky and can break while reinserting.

Of course, finding the right stopper is quite a task as these aren't freely available. Aabhas Sharma did manage to locate some in various shapes and sizes "" so choose your pick from silver ones, crystal ones and glass ones and consider gifting one of these along with that bottle of wine.

The silver look

You can have a horse or an owl or even a tap for that matter "" all silver-plated. Silver-plated wine stoppers are the most common and popular ones around. These are available at various relatively-well stocked stores and are moderately priced.

Starting from as low as Rs 500 for one, the range goes up to Rs 1,500 or so. If you want more expensive ones, there are design variations (like one with gemstones stuck on top) but you should probably try buying these online for more options.

Crystal elegance and some weird designs

They look more elegant than the silver ones but aren't as easily available. Again, the shapes and forms are not very different from those in silver, but if you want to opt for extra elegance, then these are the ones that will best suit your bar.

They are priced a bit on the higher side and trawling online for these may be more time-saving than physically checking out the stores. Or, you can always pick up one on your trip abroad.

If you are not seeking elegance but something wacky, there are some interesting designs (like one with a finger sticking out or another with a golf ball on top) that you could check out on the site www.happilyunmarried.com. There are some weird ones too here. The site belongs to a unique shop in Shahpur Jat, New Delhi, that stocks all manners of quirkily-designed wares.

Stainless steel

Other common designs are animal forms. Stainless steel is another material for wine stoppers that is gradually finding acceptance and you can now see steel stoppers in several homes. Happy searching!