Btw, this is the first of three variable volume wine preservation systems I’ve seen. Started as a GoFundMe. I think all three have been posted about on here over the years. Don’t recall the other names, and haven’t tried any of them. People can look around, if they care.
Ideally, you’d be able to “pour” out of such a thing without exposing the wine again. Not certain, but I have a vague recollection of one that allows that. I also don’t recall any seeming perfect, but certainly far in the right direction.
Yep, I believe you’re thinking of the Eto Wine Perserver. I was actually going to pull the trigger on that originally because of just that - being able to pour wine out without exposing air (plus it looks much nicer)…but the reviews were not great. That’s how I stumbled upon the Wine Squirrel, and despite the horrible name, ended up going that route as the reviews were much better. And its about half the price
You may be thinking of the QikVin. I recently bought one and am quite impressed with it. Very well designed and engineered, with excellent materials. Easy to use and clean, but most of all it works as well as I’d hoped. It solves many of the issues with other options. As a glass a day drinker it’s definitely encouraged me to upgrade my wine choices knowing I can fully savor a bottle over a week or so.
It is available on Amazon for $99. But I take your point. I guess I would defend my “investment” in it by pointing out it’s much cheaper than a Coravin both upfront and ongoing cost. They have published independent lab tests that show it’s as effective as the Coravin at preventing oxidation, and it doesn’t have the reported intermittent cork issues. I can only say the benefit for me of opening up better wines without waste is more than worth the price, but as always YMMV.
Thanks Jim! I’ve been super happy with my Wine Squirrel, but the one issue I have is that the stopper doesn’t extend all the way down to the bottom of the decanter, which means you can’t preserve the last glass or so of wine. Does the QikVin solve for that Jim? Assuming so, but any feedback you have would be appreciated. Thx!
Yes, it does solve that problem. The piston goes all the way to the seal at the top that holds the one way valve, so you can preserve and serve the final glass or any small portion up to the last few drops. It’s a simple concept executed very well.
For some reason, it seems quite reasonable at $99. Seriously! Now I’m tempted.
A real advantage to the plunger/piston type of preserver is that it prevents not just oxidation but evaporation of volatile aroma compounds. I don’t see how injecting Coravin argon is ever going to prevent some aroma loss.
I agree. It’s an elegant solution that they’ve executed very well. Once decanted no air at all contacts the wine so from that point on oxidation or evaporation are essentially zero. The other factor could be the materials imparting some taste, as has been reported for the ETO for example. But all the materials are high quality food grade, and I’ve detected no off tastes. What I can’t speak to is longevity and how well it will be working in a year or two or three, but so far I’m very happy with it.
I’ll stick to 8-11 oz glass bottles. O cost, eco conscious decision. For some reason, I’ve found Perrier bottles to be better at preservation over pelligrino bottles.
I’m sure that works great…but also seems like a huge pain in the ass.
And I guess I don’t see how that’s a more eco-conscious move vs. Either the QikVin or Wine Squirrel, which are used over and over again, without argon, etc.
It’s a bit of “horses for races”. I drink about half of your small bottles per day, so I’d end up with day old oxidation every other day. Without any ongoing cost for the QikVin and no throw away consumables the cost and eco aspects over time are about as low as you can get. It’s one more option that I think deserves consideration.
The thing that concerns me most about decanting into small bottles is not knowing how to effectively clean something in the dishwasher with the very small opening and cap. These piston style devices look easy to clean. And John I agree, looks good, at least the bit I can see.
A lot of dishwasher soap leaves a residual bit of whatever to boldly prove it works or something (like cover how it not so great the product actually is?) Good to avoid these gimmicky bullshit cleaners, anyway. Rant aside, cleaning those little things is easy. Rinse after use. Pour in a little solution from the bottle you made up from PBW (powdered brewery wash) or equivalent, thumb over bottle, shake and make sure the threads get covered, pour from that into the next bottle and so on, then let it flow over the lids sufficiently. Rinse it all off/out thoroughly, and put them up to dry. Takes about 2 minutes.
I’ve gotta say, this thing seems awesome so far!! LOVE the functionality of being able to simply tilt and pour wine as needed vs. The wine Squirrel where you have to untwist/release the stopper to pour, and then reset it again (which obviously exposes the wine to more air).
If this follows through with the actual preservation aspect…we have a real winner here. Will report back next week!
Ha! So glad you like it. When I was looking at the different devices and imagining using them the QikVin just seemed to be the best overall solution to the problem. As you say using it couldn’t be simpler, and preventing any air contact after decanting is a big plus. Don’t know why it hasn’t gotten wider recognition.
Thanks for the review.
Why would you still use the Coravin on younger bottles?
It seems the squirrel would save costs on Argon cartridges, unless that is not a concern.
Or maybe you want keep these stored for an extended time after opening?
I have a Pungo which I have tended to over use.
If I don’t know if I am going to finish a bottle with 2 or 3 days I will use the Pungo.
But I have trying to use it less.
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