Launched in May, Coravin Vinitas allows wineries, retailers and wine schools to split a bottle of wine into smaller, 100ml single serve formats, which it promises will stay in good condition for up to 12 months.

The machine, which is small enough to sit on a countertop, uses inert gas to prevent oxidisation. Just as the original Coravin allowed restaurants and wine lovers to serve wine by the glass without the expense or waste involved with opening the whole bottle, Coravin Vinitas extends this sampling capability to those tasting remotely in their own time.

The benefits extend from wineries or distributors targeting trade buyers to retailers, clubs and educational programmes seeking a convenient, cost effective way to help customers discover a broader range of wines.

“Until now, there has not been a scalable automated product that creates single-serve formats and maintains the quality of the wine inside for months, as opposed to weeks,” said Greg Lambrecht, Coravin founder and inventor. “With Coravin Vinitas, companies, hospitality services, and trade can sample and fractionalise any bottle, any time, on-site, ensuring the highest quality experience for businesses and consumers, no more needlessly shipping full-size bottles where only a taster is needed.”

Coravin CEO Chris Ladd traced the inspiration for Vinitas back to the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when wine businesses suddenly needed to send out more samples instead of meeting in person. “Since then, we have continued to see the wine industry struggle to connect with a younger consumer audience who have far more options to choose from than previous generations,” he commented. “Coravin Vinitas addresses this need and is primed to change the way the world consumes wine.”

The launch follows an 18-month development process in partnership with various wine producers, schools and retailers, including Napa Valley Wine Academy, Graves cru classé Château Haut Bailly and Australian fine wine broker Langton’s.