Another nifty gadget

[hotwine]

From International Wine Accessories, those purveyors of all manner of nifty wine gizmos, comes the infrared wine thermometer. In two models, one a slim keychain style and the other a fatter pocket-clipped type, its to be pointed at a bottle of wine and illuminated with a tiny infrared beam to measure the liquid's temperature. It needs to be close to the bottle - one to two inches away - without touching the glass. Temp is read on a little digital LED in the side of the widget.

I received the pocket-clip model yesterday and just now flight-tested it in the cellar by sampling the temperature of several bottles, some on low racks, some on upper ones, with different exposures to the cooling unit. With the thermostat set at 57F and that temp confirmed on the Radio Shack sanity checker on an upper rack, measured temperatures of the bottles ranged from 53.7F to 57.3F. Pretty slick! $24.95 from IWA (the keychain model which I did not order is $44.95). Item number is HM174-001 in their "Holiday 2006" catalog, page 39.

They also now offer a "ScrewPull Cork Catcher" for use with bubblies... intended to help you loosen those sometimes troublesome corks on sparklers and catch the cork before it does irreparable damage to your better half's china cabinet (and your marriage). Got one of those, too, for $19.95 (page 37, same catalog).

Just ordered another pair of the same for gifting.