Newly launched iSommelier device receives innovation award
The iSommelier, a 'smart' decanter which reduces aeration time for a wine from hours to minutes, has been awarded the 2015 Innovation Trophy.
Eric Li, president of Bordeaux-based iFavine, which produces the iSommelier, and the man behind the product, received the award at a ceremony at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The iSommelier is a teasmaid-sized wifi-controlled device, which reduces decanting time for a wine from hours to minutes by aerating wine with a constant flow of purified, medical grade oxygen via a specially designed glass decanter.
Each minute of oxygenation through the iSommelier is designed to equate to an hour in a decanter.
Andrew Chapman, UK sales and marketing manager for iFavine, said: "Oxygenation is key at two points in a wine's life: during winemaking and at the point of drinking.
"Ambient air has just 21% O2; the iSommelier gives air containing highly concentrated oxygen by filtering pollutants and moisture, and removing most of the Nitrogen.
"Importantly, the unit also evenly diffuses the oxygen throughout the entire volume of the wine, rather than just the surface area."
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iSommelier |
The product also has a complementary app that recommends decanting times for different varieties and styles of wine.
The device retails at around £1,200 and is on sale in the UK at Harrods.
Early adopters in the on-trade include The Fat Duck and Summer Lodge Hotel.
Eric Zwiebel MS at the Summer Lodge Hotel said: "Since receiving the iSommelier I have used it every single day in the restaurant.
"Often a customer will ask for a wine that you know needs at least an hour of breathing time - but that wasn't always possible.
"It is now, which means we can ensure our diners really are drinking wines that are at their peak."
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