The Coravin System is nothing short of a revolution in wine preservation. It has changed the way we buy wine, drink wine, and serve wine. It is hands-down the best way to preserve wine. However, the Coravin system itself is very expensive (some are up to $400) but the capsules need constant replacement. It adds up and some of us would rather spend that money on wine! So I offer you 10 Coravin alternatives that are significantly less expensive wine preservation systems and ways to keep wine fresher, longer.
The main objective of any wine preservation system is to prevent the wine from being exposed to oxygen. Oxygen breaks down the wine and ages it prematurely if overexposed, resulting in a dull wine that’s lost it’s flavors and aromas. You can read more about that here. You’ll see that these Coravin alternatives do that and you should have that objective in mind while shopping.
What is a Coravin Wine Preservation System, and How does it work?
Ever wanted to have a glass of wine from that premium bottle you got the other day, but you were all alone? Sure, you could open the bottle, but who would drink the rest of it? Unless you want the wine to go bad, you will open the bottle only when you know you can finish it all. Enter Coravin.
Coravin Wine Preservation System is a patent that allows you to pour wine from a bottle without removing the cork. What is more, the tool replaces lost wine with pure argon gas to prevent oxygen from filling that space. As a result, the remaining wine is as good as new. The only caveat? It is damn expensive!
So, although Coravin delivers the ultimate wine preservation, there are some alternatives you can consider instead. Sounds interesting? Then you will love the following list.
Wine Squirrel
One of the best Coravin alternatives is Wine Squirrel at around $76. The approach here is different. Rather than protecting the wine within the bottle, Wine Squirrel offers an out-of-the-box solution. Or better, say an out-of-the-bottle alternative.
In short, you pour the wine into an air-tight seal. That way, you extend its lifetime by up to four weeks. And you can store that seal anywhere, even horizontally, which also means it is easy to move around. On the negative side, that extra storage place means you have one more device to deal with and clean.
Savino Wine Preserver
A similar technology comes from Savino Wine Preserver. Here, you again pour the wine into a 750ml glass decanter, attach the air stopper, and replace the lid to save your non-sparkling wine.
The best part is that the device is made from durable material, so you can safely clean it in the dishwasher. Did I mention its slim design? Savino Preserver won’t take more than a few centimeters in your fridge. At just $60, it is the perfect gift for all wine lovers.
Rabbit Wine Preserver Set
If your priority is your budget, then look no further than the Rabbit Wine Preserver set. With 40 bucks, you get the best value for your money. The set comes with a foil cutter, automatic bottle opener, pump, and two stoppers; all on a convenient charging station. This tool removes the cork with the touch of a button, leaving it undamaged. The set comes with a pump and two stoppers to preserve the wine up to a week.
Although an affordable option all-in-one wine preservation set, Rabbit has little to no instructions on using it. Yet, with some trial and error, you’ll soon find the way this little tool works. Or you can check out their YouTube channel for a little tutorial.
Vacu Vin
Do you think $40 is maybe too much? After all, you can get one or two premium bottles of wine at this price tag. If you agree, then Vacu Vin might be your ideal Coravin alternative at $18. The Vacu Vin is one of the most popular wine preservations systems because of its ease of use and it’s affordability. It gets the job done.
It is about a patented wine saver toolkit you can use to place a wine stopper into the bottle. Then, you use the tool that looks like a pump to remove the air from the bottle and seal the wine. Although easy to use, this technique won’t extend your wine lifetime for more than a week.
AirVi Automatic Wine Vacuum Pump
There is nothing like automation nowadays. And you can see it in wine preservation systems. With AirVi Automatic Pump, all you have to do is place the seal at the mouth of your bottle, and it does its magic on its own. It takes up to 45 seconds to remove the air and seal the bottle. Like, that’s it. It’s that automatic.
At about $30 each, it’s not the cheapest wine preservation tool but it’s so easy to use, it’s worth it, especially when you consider the wine would be wasted otherwise. The tool comes with the two batteries preinstalled, so you are ready to use it without the need to assemble anything.
marofin Electric Wine Saver
Similar to AirVi, marofin Electric Wine Saver attaches to the mouth of an open bottle and automatically extracts the vacuum and oxygen from the bottle. And it continues to do so whenever it detects a change in pressure. All that for only $26. The only caveat is the lack of the vacuum release button which means the tool can be prone to break.
Private Preserve
Private Preserve allows you to store and seal the wine once you open the bottle. Simply spray it in the leftover wine and save it for next time. The way it works is that the tool replaces oxygen with inert gas,
Although a breakthrough technique, the concept means that the Preserve can work for around 20 seals until the inert gas runs out. That comes to about 50 cents a bottle, a rather affordable option. Private preserve works best in conjunction with a good sealing bottle stopper. See below.
ArT Wine Preserver
Similar to the Private Preserve, ArT Wine Preserver protects wine from oxygenation in the same way. Here, all you have to do is spray the open bottle to get the oxygen out and seal the bottle. And don’t worry about chemicals, as ArT uses the harmless argon to displace the oxygen from the bottle. It comes with it’s own seal, too.
With a price tag of $16, you can use it 20 to almost 30 times before the gas runs out. However, it is difficult to clearly tell when the tool has run out of gas, so you may risk ruining a couple of bottles before you notice.
Silicone Wine Stoppers
Although not a gas preservation system, these air-tight solutions are the least expensive option on this list. At just $10, you can get six air-tight silicone wine stoppers that can replace a cork. However, for best results, make sure to use them in conjunction with some type of gas preserver.
Wine Enthusiast Wine Opener and Preserver
If you are looking for a complete solution, get the Wine Enthusiast Electric for $70. Wine Enthusiast has been in on the wine gadget game for a while and are generally a trust name. Made from stainless steel, this tool allows you to open wine on one end and preserve wine on the other side of the cylinder. The wine preservation is via a vacuum pump. You will also find two stoppers, a foil cutter, and a rechargeable stand as you open the box. It’s an all in one system which doesn’t take up much space.
Sparkling Wine Preservation System
Preserving sparkling wine is a bit trickier because of the higher pressure coming from the bubbles. Although Coravin recently released their long-awaited Sparkling wine preservation system for a whopping $400, you may want to consider some Sparkling Coravin alternatives. At least your wallet would be grateful.
L’atelier du Vin Bubble Indicator
I saw a friend posting about this on Instagram and had to share it with you. L’atelier du Vin allows you to seal an open sparkling wine bottle for just $60. And thanks to the Bubble Indicator, the pressure inside the bottle remains for weeks on end. Once you notice that the colored ring starts to disappear, it is time to finish the bottle! The only problem? There is just one bubble indicator in the box, so you can use it in one bottle at a time.
Champagne Stopper by MitBa
Who said sparkling wine preserves are expensive? With less than $15, you can get the Champagne Stopper by MitBa and quickly seal your favorite fizz to preserve its bubbles and quality. Just follow the detailed instructions and you’re sparkling wine can be preserved up to a few days. It even has a little date indicator to keep track of when you opened it.
So, here you are. These are some of the best Coravin alternatives out there. Now I would like to hear from you. Did you ever use any of the preserves on this list? Or maybe you found something else. Either way, let me know by leaving a quick comment below.