Most of us know the feeling of having a bottle of wine we wished was a good few degrees cooler. So what do you do? Hurriedly throw the lukewarm bottle into the freezer? Make (another) mental note to keep the fridge stocked? Or drink it warm (no, of course you're not that desperate). If you've got a Ravi in your freezer, you need never face this situation again. This nifty Canadian invention cools wine as it is poured and the level of cooling can be adjusted according to the type of wine being served.
The Ravi must be stored in the freezer for six hours before use but will keep working for over an hour after being taken out. It is then placed on the neck of the bottle and its shell works like a thermos, keeping the inside of the Ravi frozen thus cooling the wine as it passes through. The temperature is regulated by an air-intake valve providing a serving temperature of between 12 and 18 degrees Celsius (25 - 64 degrees Fahrenheit).
To use the Ravi, simply place your thumb on the air-intake valve and tip the bottle sharply. Once it’s in the serving position, remove your thumb to let the wine flow. As you pour more glasses of wine, you slow the flow to ensure the wine is sufficiently cooled.
As the Ravi's internal tube is made of the same stainless steel used for fermentation tanks, there's no alteration to the taste of the wine or its characteristics.
You may be surprised to learn that the Ravi is intended mainly for cooling red wine, although it does a fine job of cooling white wine or rosé wine as well.
According to the website, red wines are usually served too warm, "so the alcohol tends to predominate, concealing the fruit of the wine. As a result, the wine loses its typicity and personality."
"Ravi enables you to go instantaneously from room temperature to that of a wine cellar."
Now all you need to remember is to keep the Ravi in the freezer... or perhaps buy one of these high-tech wine coolers.