If you want to know more about wine, you have to drink more. That’s what you hear over and over again. So open the bottle and put it in the glass. But once open, the clock is ticking. The unstoppable decay of the wine begins and soon turns the most beautiful drop into an undrinkable sludge. Normally, only one thing helps: The bottle must be drunk – quickly. So what to do if you just want to enjoy a glass in the evening? The solution to this problem is called Coravin.
Coravin: Useful wine accessories or expensive bells and whistles
There are countless so-called pleasure aids for wine drinkers. From the most diverse types of corkscrews to vacuum pumps and exotic accessories such as the Clef du Vin. The market offers everything with which money can be made. Most of it: useless guff!
Most of the accessories are just expensive toys and spend most of their time in a dark drawer. You do not need a vacuum pump, wine key and Co. corkscrew, bottle of wine, glass and ready.
As far as the price is concerned, the Coravin plays in the premier league. The willing wine enthusiast will have to spend around €350 to afford the system – not including extra argon cartridges and replacement needles.
What is Coravin anyway?
The Coravin is a wine system and allows wine to be served by the glass without opening the bottle. For this purpose, the system has a hollow needle that is pierced through the cork. Argon is then injected into the bottle. The resulting overpressure transports the wine through the hollow needle into the glass. At the end, the needle is removed again. Thanks to its elastic property, the cork closes behind the cannula and seals the wine. This prevents unwanted air from getting into the bottle.
Argon is heavier than oxygen and acts as a protective layer over the wine. Oxidation is thus prevented. Argon has no effect on the taste of the wine.
Then the bottle can be stored further.
Advantages disadvantages of the system
I don’t want to miss my Coravin anymore. Thanks to the system, I can finally drink wines over a longer period of time or watch them develop. Enjoying a glass of wine in the evening without first considering whether opening the bottle is actually worth it? No more problem! The purchase was worth it (for me). You can find the advantages and disadvantages of the system in the following list.
Advantages
- Enables the individual serving of wines
- Simple operation
- Wines stay fresh for months (years?)
- More freedom in wine selection
- Wines can be followed in their evolution.
- Accessories and replacement needles available
Disadvantages
- Contaminated needles can contaminate other wines
- works only with real cork closure.
- Artificial corks are incompatible with the Coravin
- Self-sealing depends on the quality of cork.
- High acquisition and maintenance costs
Coravin wine system: An expensive piece of freedom
The Coravin is hardly worth it for anyone who only picks up a bottle from time to time. The system is probably only really interesting for wine drinkers who like to have a glass now and then, but not bottled wines. However, the newfound freedom comes at a price. According to the manufacturer, a special Coravin Argon cartridge lasts for about 15 glasses (150 ml). This corresponds to about three bottles of wine (0.75 liters). Three cartridges cost €26.95. This results in additional costs of approx. 0,60 € per glass. It is therefore worthwhile to use the inert gas sparingly.
Conclusion on the Coravin system
Whether the purchase of a Coravin is worthwhile is something everyone has to find out for themselves. However, I don’t want to give this little helper away anymore.
I enjoy the freedom that the system gives me immensely. A glass of Riesling at the end of the day and a strong Malbec at a later hour? No problem! Thanks to the Coravin, I drink the wine I feel like at the moment.
If there are visitors in the house, there is no longer any need to compromise. Everyone gets the wine that tastes best to him.
Small tip: By the way, the maintenance costs of the system can be minimized somewhat at the beginning. Those who register their Coravin will receive a €50 discount code for their next order.
