Introducing Kuvee, taking wine to a whole new level.
We've long lamented the lack of technology in the end user experience in the wine world here at Reverse Wine Snob; however, it's usually been in regards to the inability of the internet to transform the industry like it has so many others (thanks to the horrible three tier system -- see my book for more on that). What we hadn't really thought about was how technology could transform the actual experience of wine, all the way down to pouring it in your glass. Well, the good folks over at Kuvee have been thinking about this and the future has arrived.
Over the last week or so we've been lucky enough to try out the new Kuvee Smart Bottle and a selection of wines.
Kuvee aims to change the way you drink wine by packaging the wine you love in new containers that do not allow air to enter, keeping wine fresh for 30 days at a time. The wine bottles slide into the wifi-enabled Smart Bottle, which instantly recognizes the wine inserted and displays info about it on the interactive, internet-connected screen.
Is your mind spinning yet? Once connected to the internet the opportunities are endless. Social media sharing, re-ordering, leaving ratings in your cellar, customized recommendations and much, much more all become possibilities.
And while the interactive technology is what had me most excited, after using the Kuvee Smart Bottle for a week what most impressed me was simply the ability to have as much or as little of the wines I liked when I wanted them without ever having to worry about oxidation or wine going bad, thanks to the unique Kuvee pouring valve. Update: While this little bit of technology worked quite well for the first week, two weeks (not 30 days) is about the maximum I would go at this point. Hopefully they'll be able to continue to improve on that before they go to production.
Not sure which wine will go with your dinner? Pour a bit of each and find out!
You'd like a hearty red and your wife wants a sweet white? No problem.
Having friends over who all have different tastes? Open as many bottles as you like without worrying about wasting any wine! All the leftovers stay good for up to 30 days.
The Kuvee Smart Bottle is still a few months away from shipping, but I came away extremely impressed with the potential it carries. With 12 wineries signed up already (including some big names like Bonny Doon, Girard, Pine Ridge, Seghesio, BR Cohn and Schug) and some excellent wines already on tap, the Kuvee team is rapidly expanding their offerings. If you'd like to find out more and get in on the ground floor with a secret perk of 46% off just for Reverse Wine Snob readers, simply go here.
Cheers and welcome to Wine 2.0!