Aging wine is an art. Depending on the particular blend of vino, proper aging has the ability to drastically change a wine’s tasting notes, mouthfeel, and acidity. Typically, this is done over several years with some blends of wine benefitting from decade-long aging processes. In other words, patience is a virtue in the wine community.
However, a small French startup located at CES 2016’s Eureka Park looks to drastically change this perception and officially unveiled the D-Vine connected sommelier, a smart brewing system that’s essentially a Keurig for wine. Naturally, we indulged in a taste test.
Like pods for an automated coffee machine, the D-Vine requires owners use specially designed 10-centiliter bottles, which contain a particular wine of choice. From rosé and Saumurs to Pomerols and Bordeauxs, 10-Vins’ compatible wine list makes finding the perfect glass of wine an absolute breeze. Similar to owner a Keurig or Nespresso machine, owners must purchase the bottles separately, either by themselves or as part of a variety pack.
Under the hood, the D-Vine utilizes RFID technology to read a chip placed on each 10cl bottle of wine. Once inserted, the chip tells the machine the ideal temperature and aeration native to each blend of wine. After it understands what’s inserted, the wine runs through the machine, heating up or cooling down to its precise temperature before decanting the wine in the blink of an eye. All told, the entire process took under a minute, producing a quality of wine typically seen after hours spent in a decanter.
For our demonstration, we decided to give 10-Vins’ Syrah a run for its money and enjoyed a side by side test of the stock wine from the bottle and a glass run through the D-Vine. To put it plainly, the difference in quality was staggering. The stock Syrah featured a highly acidic aftertaste, while the properly decanted Syrah from the D-Vine was incredibly flavorful and full-bodied. Essentially, the contrast of the two glasses was like comparing a box of Franzia wine to a top-shelf, $60 bottle of Syrah.
Available now through the 10-Vins website, the D-Vine machine costs $599, with typical bottles ranging from roughly $2 or $3 to $10, depending on the blend.
