I love wine. Not just drinking it, but also buying and collecting. While most wine that I buy gets consumed in no time, the more expensive bottles go into my wine cellar and stay there for years.

Why don’t these bottles ever get opened? Because after spending a fortune, I am always waiting for the right occasion to uncork them, which invariably never happens.

Sometimes I don’t even want to share my bottle and wish to drink it alone, not the whole bottle, but a glass or two, or maybe just a taste, and then keep it away till it reaches its ideal drinking window. However I know that once I pull out the cork, that fine wine will have have to be consumed soon as it will get compromised, despite using the best stopper.

And like any passionate wine lover I have fears. What if something happens to me or there is a disaster (earthquake, fire etc etc) and I never get to drink any of those precious wines that I have been so lovingly collecting and greedily hoarding over the years. But those are just fleeting thoughts which get shunned away almost immediately.

Being a wine professional, of course I had heard about and even seen the ground-breaking Coravin wine access system that pours wine from any bottle without removing the cork, thus allowing you to enjoy the rest of the bottle another day. The perfect answer to my wine dilemma.

But Coravin always seemed like a horribly expensive gizmo one got tempted to buy on an overseas trip, since it was not available in India. One that never got used, as it was too complicated to operate, and eventually got relegated to some drawer gathering dust, to be taken out occasionally just to show off to friends.

All that changed yesterday when I was invited by Brindco, the exclusive partner of Coravin in India, for the official India launch and demonstration of this amazing wine device invented by Greg Lambrecht, who spent fourteen years developing and testing his concept before launching it in 2013.

I got a chance to try it out myself and frankly, I found Coravin easier to use than a regular corkscrew, with which I still fumble occasionally.

So how does it work ? Very simple. You puncture a tiny hole into the cork with a fine medical grade needle. This needle pumps in a harmless inert gas Argon into the bottle, which creates pressure within the bottle, as a result of which wine is pushed out through this needle. Once you pour the desired amount, the needle is withdrawn and argon is left in place to prevent oxidation. You can stash away the bottle for years if need be, as the remaining wine is kept unspoilt and in pristine condition.

What is amazing is that the cork reseals itself naturally and the wine does not aerate and turn into vinegar. So you can taste any amount of wine at any point and the last glass will taste as good as the first. Other than a tiny pinprick in the foil, there is no visible sign that the wine has been accessed. If this isn’t revolutionary and innovative then what is ?

Prateek Arora, wine professional and restaurateur who has been a part of the beverage industry for the last eight years trying his hand at Coravin for the first time.

India launch of Coravin wine access and pouring system will surely change the way India drinks wine. It promises to be boon for the restaurant industry which can now serve fine wine by the glass without fear of wastage and spoilage.

As for individuals like me, it an indispensable device. A little expensive but then it does last for a long time and gives me access to all my wines, anytime I want. Maybe now I can have my cake and eat it too. Or have my wine and drink it too.

By : Lavina Kharkwal

Coravin India Official Launch
With Aman Dhall & Madame La Cave Madhulika Bhattacharya at the launch of Coravin India at The Lodhi Hotel, New Delhi

Launched in India by Brindco, Coravin is available in 3 models. You will be able to buy it very soon on Amazon too, at slightly lower prices than the MRP mentioned below.

Coravin Model 1 : Rs 21624 (Available in Blue/White combo)

Coravin Model 2 : Rs 29496 (Dark graphite finish)

Coravin Model 2 Elite : Rs 32150 (Red, Gold and Silver, all with a chrome finish)

All models come with two premium Coravin Capsules (each capsule can be used 15-18 times depending on the pours)