Around The Home

Decanter takes a bottoms-up approach to wine freshness

View 2 Images
QikVin creator Harald Tomesch demonstrates his product 
QikVin
QikVin creator Harald Tomesch demonstrates his product 
QikVin
A vacuum in the QikVin keeps the piston sitting up against the "underside" of the wine as it's poured
QikVin

When trying to keep wine fresh after being opened, it's important to limit the wine's exposure to oxygen left inside the bottle. As a result, we've seen vacuum pumps that draw air out of bottles, along with bladders that displace the air by inflating to fill its space. QikVin offers an interesting new alternative, in the form of a vessel that gets "smaller" as wine is poured out.

Users start by unscrewing the gasket-sealed top of the QikVin, then pouring a bottle of wine into it. They then replace the top, and push up on the piston/bottom to force out the air – a one-way valve in the neck allows air and wine to get out but keeps air from coming in, creating a vacuum.

A vacuum in the QikVin keeps the piston sitting up against the "underside" of the wine as it's poured
QikVin

From there, that vacuum keeps the piston sitting up against the "underside" of the wine as it's poured, holding the liquid up against the top of the vessel with no room for air above it. The system is demonstrated in the video below.

Inventor Harald Tomesch tells us that the product should sell for about US$99, although backers can grab one for as little as $55 in a Kickstarter campaign starting sometime next month. If you're interested in getting one, keep an eye on the company website to see when it begins.

You might also want to check out the Wine Squirrel, which is sort of an upside-down version of the QikVin.

Source: QikVin

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
3 comments
Dan Parker
You can buy boxed wine that has a bladder that does, essentially, the same thing.
RossMcNeilage
WHAT? You guys never heard of the cask? Another great Aussie invention.
Calson
I put unfinished bottles in the refrigerator as at 34 F degrees any chemical changes to the wine are greatly retarded. Even a Pinot Noir will keep for an additional 3 days in the fridge.