“The dream of Coravin was for people to serve wine to their friends, family and themselves without having to think about when they are going to drink that bottle again.” —Greg Lambrecht, founder of the Coravin Wine Preservation System.

Most wine drinkers can relate to this common scenario: it's a Tuesday evening, and you're craving a single glass of wine to pair with your roast chicken. There’s no one else home, or those who are won’t be drinking wine. You’re then faced with a dilemma: should you uncork a not-inexpensive Pinot Noir that would go perfectly with dinner?

You won’t be home the following nights, so the thought of wasting three-quarters of a bottle of wine is disheartening. You decide to stick with your glass of lemon water or perhaps opt for a more budget-friendly bottle of wine. Either way, you’re compromising.

The Solution

If you’re no stranger to the above situation, the Coravin Wine Preservation System will be a game-changer for you. With this innovative device, you can now pour yourself half a glass or a full glass, knowing that the remainder of the bottle will be perfectly preserved until you're ready for another sip, be it weeks, months, or even years. The device allows you to sample several wines in one evening or to savor a particular wine over multiple occasions. It could even motivate you to invest in higher-quality wines, knowing they won't go to waste.

For wine professionals like me, who are sent dozens of wines to be evaluated at home, owning the Coravin Timeless Six is life-changing. Now I can have a small taste of each bottle without worrying that the rest will go to waste. The only people who aren’t happy about it are my neighbors, who don’t receive as many leftover bottles as they used to!

Blending Science, Innovation, and Wine

***Photo of Greg Lambrecht: Lisa Denning***

Greg Lambrecht’s journey into the world of wine was driven by a genuine desire to make a positive impact in people's lives. This visionary founder, a trained physicist and inventor of medical devices, somehow found the time to pioneer this innovative wine preservation system.

Initially, Lambrecht believed medicine was his sole path to improving lives, but by creating Coravin, he realized the significant role wine can play in enhancing one's quality of life. As a friend once told him, "Wine is a reason to stay alive."

The first Coravin system was launched in 2013, with the help of outside investors, following eight years of rigorous prototype testing. Today, Coravin is a global phenomenon, with over one million systems sold to wine enthusiasts and professionals in over 60 countries. The device comes in a range of models, priced from $100 to $500, including one solely for sparkling wine.

“For a guy who doesn’t have wine training and comes from the outside of this industry, it has been an extraordinary experience,” says Lambrecht, reflecting on his journey.

User Friendly

In addition to the Coravin’s ability to preserve wine over extended periods, the magic behind the device lies in its ease of use. You don’t even need to remove the cork. All you do is place the device on top of the bottle, press down so the thin needle inserts into the cork, tilt the bottle, and push down on the trigger.

It only takes a few seconds! The wine flows into your glass while argon gas enters the bottle, preserving the aromas and flavors and preventing oxidation of the remaining wine.

Preserving wine this way for years may seem unbelievable, but I recently witnessed Coravin's remarkable capabilities at a dinner hosted by Lambrecht. Before dinner, our group of sommeliers and wine journalists engaged in a blind tasting that featured three glasses of 2001 Chateau Pesquie. We were told one or two of the glasses held wine that had been ‘Coravined’ 19 years ago.

Even for our group of seasoned wine professionals, discerning the difference between freshly opened bottles and those that had been preserved for nearly two decades was a struggle. About half of us guessed correctly. And, yes, it was guessing, as we all agreed there weren’t any significant differences between the three glasses of wine.

During dinner, Lambrecht shared a funny story about a pre-launch meeting he had with renowned American wine critic Robert Parker. Before tasting any wine, Parker declared, “Wine gadgets are ridiculous. They come in between you and wine, and I’ve never met one that was worth anything, so I’m prepared to be disappointed.”

Lambrecht said he then poured a taste of a Bordeaux red, to which the critic mentioned he had just enjoyed this particular wine a couple of days ago. “That's when I revealed that I had preserved it seven years prior using my Coravin,” says Lambrecht. “Parker, shocked, exclaimed, ‘This is the best thing I have seen since the wine glass!’”

Disclaimer: Thank you to Greg Lambrecht for introducing me to the newly-launched Coravin in 2013 while I was working in wine retail, and for supplying me with a recent model, the Timeless Six.
All opinions about Coravin Wine Preservation Systems are my own.