The word is out about the Coravin. The device was released earlier this year to rave reviews. With a hollow needle and a pressurized argon-gas valve, it allows one to withdraw small amounts of wine from an unopened bottle without any oxidation occurring. Now, for $299 (at press time), a wine enthusiast can enjoy a single glass and monitor the progress of young wines without opening the bottle.
Many experts have called it a game changer. How it actually will affect the wine industry remains to be seen. There’s a chance wine enthusiasts will drink less wine, pouring glasses little by little and savoring every last drop. Or it could just be a fad: Over time, the Coravin may find its place in the junk drawer, alongside the Vinturi and BevWizard.
Slowly, though, I’m growing convinced that the Coravin will encourage wine enthusiasts to drink more. Collectors will excitedly lead guests into their cellars, allowing everyone to sample eight-vintage spreads. Or maybe those wine drinkers who typically wait to imbibe their vino on the weekends—when they can finish an entire bottle—will decide to enjoy a glass every night. Or maybe, after extracting a small sample, a wine drinker will quickly decide on another glass—and rush for the corkscrew.
Here in St. Louis, Harvest is among the pour pioneers. In early October, the restaurant in Richmond Heights sent out a newsletter boasting, “According to the company, there are only three of these that have been delivered in St. Louis, and we are the first restaurant in the STL area to utilize this.”
The new technology has allowed Harvest to offer single-glass pours from its high-priced bottle selection, which has many bottles of pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon priced upwards of $100. At press time, chef and owner Nick Miller and his team offered just one red and one white per evening via the Coravin, though Miller says the restaurant aims to eventually offer a glass from any bottle on the list.
Personally, one of the main reasons that I use my Coravin doesn’t have anything to do with the local dining scene: It’s simply ideal for checking the condition of bottles of wine before parties. This way, I can be assured the wine isn’t corked, pre-oxed (spoiled due to premature oxidation), or cooked (ruined because it was stored at too high a temperature). After all, good guests bring good wine.
When it comes to actually drinking the wine, however, I’m old-fashioned. For me, life’s just too short to measure it out so cautiously and methodically.
A former sommelier at The French Laundry, Hoel serves as a senior wine advisor for Soutirage, a Napa Valley wine merchant and advisory firm.
