The best inventions are those which solve everyday problems. For Greg Lambrecht that was how to preserve an open bottle of wine to enjoy later. It’s a common problem, and no one wants to toss a great bottle of unfinished wine. The natural response is to consume it the same night. But what about restaurants serving wines by glass and anyone who is limiting their consumption? And that’s how the first Coravin was born ten years ago.
Lambrecht is practicing physician and researcher with a master’s degree from M.I.T. He is a prolific inventor with more than 200 patents for breakthrough medical devices in surgery and orthopedics to help patients with conditions ranging from herniated discs to cardiac valve therapies.
Greg Lambrecht with a Coravin system at Le Pavilon in NYC,
He’s also a passionate marathon runner and wine drinker. When his pregnant wife couldn’t enjoy a glass of wine with him, Lambrecht’s inventor’s mind started humming. He spent eight years testing 15 different protypes for a preservation device that would extend the life of an open bottle of wine. He asked sommeliers around the country to test them out and provide feedback. After much trial and error, the first Coravin was launched in July 2013.
The device was initially marketed to wine professionals and is used by restaurants and bars around the world. But remember, the initial solution “problem” started at home with that unfinished bottle of wine. Now, a decade later, Coravin has a system for home to preserve still and sparkling wines.
Our blind wine tasting at Le Pavilion. A portion of the wines had been preserved with Coravin,
We dined with Lambrecht at dinner at La Pavilion in New York where he presented his newest rendition of Coravin. We blind- tasted a selection of older and newer vintages wines all opened in different years as far back as 2004 and were asked to guess which had been preserved in Coravin. About half the group answered correctly.
Lambrecht showed us the first Coravin prototype which looked like a giant mosquito or a probing medical device. The designs have come a long way, and so has the company. Coravin is now sold around the world making it easier for wine lovers to enjoy that one glass and savor the rest for another time.
Greg Lambrecht shows “the mosquito”
“Cora” is a shortened version of the Spanish word for “corazon” which translates to “heart.” It’s a fitting name for prolonging the “heartbeat” of wine for all to enjoy longer.
Hear our conversation with Greg Lambrecht on The Connected Table LIVE! Click below: