Pop. Fizz. Clink. Opening a bottle of sparkling wine–whether it is in celebration or simply to unwind after a long day–is a special ritual that immediately sparks joy.
But what happens if you don’t finish the entire bottle in one sitting? Sure, there are champagne stoppers and, of course, the trusted spoon-handle-in-the-neck-of-the-bottle trick, but those methods only allow for the wine to last one, maybe two days max.
Luckily, Coravin has created a preservation system specifically to extend the life of your favorite sparkling wine. From Crémant and Cava to Prosecco, Lambrusco, and Champagne, the Coravin for sparkling wine is designed to uphold the effervescence of your favorite bottle of bubbly for up to four weeks!
As a sparkling wine lover, I’ve experienced many a moment when the bubbles I opened where accidentally left on the countertop, and inevitably tasted like flat, lemon-lime pop the next morning. So, when I initially received my Coravin Sparkling™️ system, I was ecstatic but skeptical, taking my time to put it to the test. With the guarantee of “the last glass tasting just as amazing as the first,” I could only wonder, “what is the magic behind this device?” When I finally gathered the courage to open the beautiful packaging, I found inside a Coravin Sparkling™️ charger, two Coravin Sparkling™️ Stoppers, and four Coravin Pure™ Sparkling CO₂ Capsules. There was only one thing left to do… pop some bottles!
For my version of the experiment, I chose two different types of sparkling wines: a 2020 Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Millesimato Extra Dry by Dal Bello and a 2008 La Grande Dame Veuve Clicquot Champagne. While both sparkling wines experience two fermentations, the Prosecco is a youthful vintage made with the Glera grape, with both fermentations taking place in steel tanks and refining happening 30 days within the bottle. As for the Champagne, which is a blend of 92% Pinot Noir and 8% Chardonnay, it is made using the traditional method – meaning the first fermentation happens in big tanks and the second fermentation takes place within the bottle.
Using the Coravin for sparkling wine system may seem a bit intimidating at first, but after careful reading of the manual and installation of the capsules into the Sparkling charger, I was ready to rock and roll.
Before securing the stoppers on your sparkling wines of choice, I highly suggest tasting them and making a few notes to see how they taste upon initial opening and returning to them a few days (or weeks!) later to do a follow up comparative tasting.
Coravin Sparkling™️ Sparkling Wine Preservation System Review
In my case, I returned to the bottles seven days later and they both tasted incredibly fresh! The Prosecco had flavors of tart green apple, pear, and apricot with zest acidity. As for the Champagne, it was boastful with notes of toasty brioche, nuttiness of almond and hazelnut, and dried fruits like apricot and fig. For a 13-year-old Champagne, it was bodacious and flavorful, but still had lifted flavors of fresh flavors of lemon and pear.
I resealed the bottles with the Sparkling charger and, because life happens, let another two weeks sail by. Upon opening the bottles for the second time, surely, I knew this would be the time that they would either fall flat or absorb all of the many foods that were in my refrigerator, right?
Wrong! Any apprehension I had about how fresh the wines would taste went out the window as soon as I poured them into the glass. The Prosecco? Still bursting with green fruit freshness, it tasted as if I had opened the bottle for the first time. The Champagne was just as elegant as I had remembered. If I had to describe the first sip, it reminded me of stepping in the first snowfall of the season – powdery and crisp with a unique depth that makes you crave more. All in all, my experience with the Coravin for sparkling wine has been outstanding, and I can’t wait to use it with bottles of Lambrusco, Spumante, and Crémant in the near future.
Follow Chasity Copper on Instagram and Twitter, then subscribe to her newsletter over on Wine with Chas . For more writing by Chasity on Coravin.com, read her piece on women making an impact on sustainability in the wine world.