 You know the whole new age healing thing with magnets? Where the aligning power of magnets improves your life, makes you feel better, cures all woes, etc. ?
Well, someone (specifically Patrick Ferrell, a physician and Master of Wine as certified by the London-based Institute of Masters of Wine) had the bright idea of putting a magnet into a plastic covering for the wine bottle that airates the bottle (a common technique that helps develop the flavor prior to drinking) and more importantly, mellows the flavor of the wine by encouraging the tannins (the acidic, bitter part of the wine taste) to combine together, creating the same effect as you would get from a few hours in a decanter or aged a few years in a bottle. The gadget, called Bev Wizard retails for about $30 and ships for $5 more.
Given how much the rest of the “magnetotherapy” industry sounds like quackery, I’m pretty skeptical about the usefulness of the Bev Wizard, but then again, there’s not much science on either side of the equation so far. The proponents claim the magnets work because they can taste the difference in blind taste tests (especially with cheaper wines), while detractors say that there’s no way magnets can encourage tannins to group together, even though no one has done any tests one way or another. For now at least, if you want to spend the $30 for this device, you’re doing it on faith.
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