How often have you not opened that bottle of wine that you really wanted to try because you didn’t think it would be consumed in one session ? Over the years there have been vacuum pumps, discs that sit on the surface of wine and a number of other systems to try prolong the life of a bottle of wine once opened.

 

In recent years the use of argon gas and CO2 has enabled a new range of consumer friendly devices that help keep wine fresh for longer. The two i have had significant experience with are Coravin and Wikeeps. Coravin has had a a large amount of publicity and is a great product so i won’t go into too much detail here apart from contrasting to Wikeeps.

 

Coravin was initially designed for cork wines with a needle that goes through the cork and displaces the liquid with Argon gas, enabling a glass of wine without opening the bottle. Recently Coravin have come out with a screw cap option. 

 

Wikeeps takes a different approach with a capsule inserted on the bottle and a spout that will allow wine to be drawn from the bottom of the bottle. A nozzle that contains the Wikeeps gas cartridge is attached to the capsule that when pressed serves wine. Each capsule can serve up to 18 glasses of wine. 

 

 

 

In addition to the service device, Wikeeps offers a temperature controlled serving unit that can be used to keep both red and white wine at the perfect serving temperature.

 

 

When using the Wikeeps i considered the following:

The Wikeeps kept wine fresh for 14 days without any discernible oxidation, from 14 - 20 days there was some oxidation evident, however low enough levels to enjoy the wine. 

 

The Wikeeps pours at a much faster rate than the Coravin, making it well suited to wine tastings and restaurants.

 

The Wikeeps is a cheaper option that the Coravin, both in terms of the serving device, as well as the ever important gas capsules that are needed for the system to work. 

 

The Wikeeps was very quick to assemble and very easy to us, a new bottle could be ready to go in a matter of seconds. 

 

 

The wikeeps is excellent for home consumers, restaurants and cellar doors to serve premium wines that will be consumed within a couple of weeks. It doesn’t discriminate between different closure types and offers a more cost effective option than the Coravin. 

 

On a side note the refills for Wikeeps can also be used for Coravin and are significantly cheaper !