Marketing

Unlimited tastings now possible

Publicans’ problems with serving wine by the glass are over! This would appear to be the case with the launch here in Ireland of the Coravin Wine Access System which gets the customer a glass of wine without even having to open the bottle.

What’s more, the remaining wine in the bottle will not oxidise so that the hospitality industry and Irish wine enthusiasts will not have to commit to opening the whole bottle when they wish to take a glass of wine from it.

The Coravin extracts the wine via a needle put through the cork while replacing the extracted liquid with inert gaseous Argon to inhibit oxidation and allowing the wine to continue evolving naturally.

The Coravin is the brainchild of Greg Lambrecht, a medical device inventor (specializing in needle technology) in the US with a passion for wine.

The sturdy device was launched following extensive field trials (including blind taste tests) in 2011 in the US which has witnessed “big uptake” and it began being sold in Europe in 2013.

To date, 80% of sales have been to consumers while 20% have been to the hospitality industry and wine producers.

From the hospitality industry’s perspective, the Coravin Wine Access System unlocks the wine cellar for pubs, restaurants and wine bars to offer a much broader selection of fine wines by the glass. Now they can serve by the glass offerings from their finest bottles without fear of waste and the system permits them to create special flights, vertical tastings and new food and wine pairings.

The system also empowers wine stores to offer customised tastings to support increased opportunities for bottle sales. Retail outlets can now offer vertical or horizontal tastings or customise and expand their tastings – all at a moment’s notice.

Recognising the immense potential of this device and the impact it will have on their wine by the glass offering, Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel and Chapter One restaurant have already pre-ordered a unit, with many more forward-thinking on-trade outlets currently in talks to come onboard, states exclusive agents the Findlater Wine & Spirit Group of the device which retails at €299 while the replacement gas cartridges cost €19.95 for two.

It was launched in the Westbury Hotel yesterday and each Coravin Capsule will yield approximately 15 x 150ml glasses of wine, equating to just €0.66 per pour.


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