WORK
An Ingenious Way to Preserve Wine
A double-duty bottle opener that's an industry game-changer
The Challenge
Pour a glass of wine without opening the entire bottle.
IMPACT
A wine industry game-changer that’s propelled preliminary sales to exceed expectations.
The OUTCOME
A prototype of the Coravin System, a device with a needle that’s inserted into the cork to pour wine without oxidation.
Opening a bottle of wine is typically a moment of no return, because what remains after the first pour almost immediately begins to oxidize.
But Greg Lambrecht knew there was a better way. He came up with an idea to pour the wine without opening the bottle. With a new device, a slender needle is inserted into the cork, and argon, an inert gas, pressurizes the bottle to pour a single glass. Remove the needle, and the tiny puncture in the cork naturally reseals, maintaining the integrity of the wine in the bottle.
Working with Lambrecht, IDEO refined the look, feel, and user experience of his device, designing and building a prototype that captured the expression of his eureka moment. Using this prototype, Lambrecht raised significant seed funding for his startup, and launched the Coravin System in July 2013. The company continues to grow year after year.
Lambrecht introduced the only product of its kind sold in the global market, and preliminary sales have far exceeded expectations. What’s more, for wine lovers everywhere, there’s finally a solution to savor and preserve every last drop.
2014