Alessi Parrot sommelier corkscrew, £30
Aside from the fact that from some angles it looks like a man cheering, there's not much that's exciting about a corkscrew. Alessi, though, have injected some individuality into theirs by making it look like a parrot. It's pocket-sized, includes a bottle-opener and comes in a variety of colours, and that's not all: if you're patient and have a ready supply of small crackers, you can even teach it to swear. Okay, you can't, but it's pretty cool regardless. alessi.com
Black + Blum Flow wine rack, £30
Not all wine racks have to be shapeless wooden/metal diamonds, full of untouched house red equivalents and rapidly gathering up dust. Thankfully, Black + Blum's Flow wine rack fits a modern, minimalist decor and takes up pretty much no space. Designed to imitate the flow of liquid, it fits up to eight bottles, and being positioned half way up the wall instead of tucked away in the corner, it might make you discover a classic you'd forgotten you'd bought. black-blum.com
Vinturi Red Wine Aerator, £40
Wine tastes better when it’s been left to breathe – it just does – but then you’ve got to have the foresight (and the patience) to open a bottle an hour or so before drinking it, presumably while staring at it longingly while your steak gets cold. Or do you? Wine aerators are rapidly growing in popularity, and this one from Vinturi is a great example. Simply pour the wine through it into the glass and it’ll add the perfect amount of oxygen to every drop,opening up the wine in seconds. birando.co.uk
