Hello my dear friends! It's Wednesday again so let's explore another great topic in the world of wine together. Many of you have recently asked about a specific gadget for wine, the Coravin System. So let's go through it and explain why this can be an important tool for enthusiasts and professionals alike.
Drinking wine should be a fully immersive experience. A wine’s taste, smell, and color have the ability to transport you to the place and time the grapes were harvested. Wine also has the ability to enhance the foods we pair them with and the events we come together to celebrate. What’s great about the wine world today is that you don’t need to be a sommelier or winemaker in order to enjoy a glass. Wine is becoming more accessible in many ways – affordability, availability, and access to educational resources just to name a few. On that note, another way wine is becoming more accessible is through wine preservation technology such as the Coravin Systems.
What is it? The Coravin wine-preservation and serving system was introduced in 2013, and it's been a game-changer in the world of wine. Coravin systems have a small, hollow needle that pierces through the cork. From there, you tilt the bottle to a 45° angle over a glass and quickly press and release the trigger to pour. Pure argon gas is injected into the bottle to replace the lost wine and preserve what's left. Now with systems ranging in prices from $100 to more than $500 USD, there’s a wine preservation solution for every type of wine drinker. Coravin delivers the ultimate wine preservation because, unlike other wine preservers that simply delay the oxidation of your wine, the systems are designed to avoid the undesired spoiling preserving the wines for weeks, or months, or even years to come.
Parts of the Coravin System
Why do I need a Coravin system?
First of all, a Coravin is going to save you from wasting wine. By having the ability to pour only one or two glasses from a bottle, you don’t run the risk of having to drink spoiled wine or dump what you don’t finish.
Just imagine you’re hosting a party and everyone wants to drink something different. It would be a nightmare scenario if you had to actually open all those bottles. With your handy Coravin, you can give everyone a taste of what they want without actually opening all of the bottles.
Not only does Coravin solve the “I don’t think we’re going to finish this entire bottle tonight” dilemma (but you have to decide to use it before you pull the cork), it allows wine lovers to check in on wines aging in their cellars. It’s also transformed many wine-by-the-glass programs in restaurants. Restaurants can now offer pours of rare and expensive wines without worrying about the remaining wine getting oxidized.
In the world of sales this is even more relevant since it is not necessary to open a bottle of wine to give a potential buyer a taste.
Types of wines and Coravin
Coravin systems work with a variety of types of wines. Still wines in standard sized bottles are fine for use with any Coravin wine by the glass system, even for those with screwcap. There is a coraving system for sparkling wine too. Coravin Sparkling can be used to preserve sparkling wines in a standard or magnum sized bottles. This includes Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, and other sparkling wines.
When it comes to sweeter wines, yes, you can use the system with these kinds of wines as well. Due to higher sugar content of dessert wines, we recommend that you run through the Coravin system cleaning routine twice after pouring.
If you are using the Coravin for a more than 20-year-old bottle, to reduce the risk of causing damage to an older cork we recommend you the use of a the vintage needle.
How long does the wine last?
When this system is used correctly, the wine in the bottle continues to evolve in the same way as if it was never used. Coravin brand also offers the Pivot wine preservation system which allows you to extend the life of your everyday wines. For bottles you expect to finish over the course of days or weeks, the ingenious combination of the Pivot Stopper and the device keeps the remaining wine fresh for up to 4 weeks.
How should my wine be stored after using a Coravin System?
After using the Coravin, it is recommended storing your wine bottles on their side in a temperature-controlled environment suitable for wine. Ensure the wine covers the cork surface inside the bottle so the cork does not dry out. For chilled wines, the cork may take a bit longer to reseal – usually within a minute. Keep these standing vertically until the cork has resealed.
In truth, most wine enthusiasts don’t need a Coravin wine preservation system. There are several other wine preservation systems that can do the trick. However, if you are in the wine trade and need to consistently give samples to buyers or customers from premium bottles, then yes, you should consider the Coravin. Also, if you collect fine wine and want to sample some of the wines in your collection without opening the bottles, then you may enjoy having a Coravin (especially if you live alone or are the only one in your home who enjoys fine wine).
And that's a wrap for today. I hope this post answers your questions. Feel free to leave questions on the comment section below! Enjoy the rest of the week and let's meet again here next Wednesday! Until then... Santé!
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