This Gadget Can Save “Opened” Wine for More than Two Years (Yup, You Read That Right)
The scene goes something like this: It’s the end of a long, exhausting work day, and I feel like my evening needs a little extra something-something in the form of a delicious glass of wine. I want a taste of a summer red, Pinot, or Cabernet. So I open a nice bottle and let it breathe in my favorite decanter (yes, I have a favorite: the Riedel Nachtmann Vivendi Decanter). I go in for a sip. The tannins are ripe, the flavors of blackberry and cracked spice tap-dance on my taste buds … and I instantly regret having opened the bottle.
As soon as you open a bottle of wine, a countdown clock begins. It will only be this good for a matter of time (a few days) and then it goes downhill from there. I’d regret opening the bottle because I’d know that the race was on and that I wouldn’t be able to savor the bottle, say, weeks later. But then I got a Coravin … and I’ve since thrown my wine worries to the wind.
Coravin is a brand that’s dedicated to preserving wines, with a series of gadgets that allow you to pour from the bottle without actually removing the cork or expose the wine to oxygen. Having a Coravin makes it much easier for me to even think about trying the 20-year Bordeaux I’ve been saving for ages. Not only did I buy a Coravin, but I actually bought two of them. That’s how much they’ve changed my wine game. Let’s take a deeper look!
The two versions I have are the Coravin Model Three and Pivot Stopper and Device (the latter comes in a few fun colors!). The Coravin Model Three is a wine preservation system that allows you to pour a glass of wine without removing the cork from the bottle. The Model Three has a needle that gently pierces through the cork to protect it from oxygen, allowing you to pour wine from the Coravin’s spout. When you take the needle out, the cork reseals itself (the hole truly is super tiny!). The wine that remains in the bottle will stay fresh for weeks, months, and even years. Yup, you read that right: The Coravin can preserve an “open” bottle of wine for up to two-plus years.
The other favorite in my Coravin Bag of Tricks is the Pivot Stopper and Device, which replaces poured wine with 100% pure argon gas to prevent oxygen from entering the bottle, perfectly preserving your favorite everyday wine for up to four weeks, so that the last glass is just as amazing as the first. All you do is uncork the wine, insert the Pivot’s stopper, add the device, and, finally, pour a glass of wine. A quick release button stops the pour and, after removing the device, you put the stopper’s cap back on, which seals the bottle until it’s time for another glass. Because I’m not the best at any gadget that requires more than two steps, this simple video (with a very soothing voice) made me feel extremely prepared to give it a go.
If you, like me, love wine, then a Coravin (or two!) is a more-than-worthwhile investment. Here’s to opening a bottle … and then savoring it for as long as possible.
Do you have a Coravin? Let us know in the comments!