From archaeological digs in Utah to Michelin-starred wine lists in Mayfair, the Coravin wine by-the-glass system keeps turning up in the most unexpected places. Here are some of the stories that stopped us in our tracks.
Featured Story
150-Year-Old Bottle of Utah Alcohol Opened, Studied by Archaeologists and Distillers
Stephen MacKay, owner of Old Town Cellars
When an archaeological team in Utah unearthed the only intact bottle of alcohol from Utah's Wild West era – buried for over 150 years at the historic mining town of Alta – they faced a challenge: how do you sample a once-in-a-lifetime find without destroying it? The answer was Coravin. A team from Old Town Cellars brought a Coravin wine by-the-glass system to extract the liquid without breaking the cork, allowing distillers at High West Saloon to analyse its colour, aroma, and flavour for the first time. What emerged had fruity notes, hints of leather, and signs of significant age – consistent with a historic beer. The sediment at the bottom of the bottle may even contain viable yeast, opening up the extraordinary possibility of recreating exactly what Utah's frontier miners were drinking over a century ago.
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From fighting wine fraud to serving first-growth Bordeaux by the glass – the wider world weighing in on what Coravin makes possible.
Coravin and the Fight Against Wine Fraud
When allegations emerged of Coravin being used in a case of alleged micro-theft of Jura wines, Wine-Searcher went straight to the source: Greg Lambrecht, Coravin's inventor and chairman. His take? The system is fundamentally one-way – it only pours out, it can never put wine back – which means it can't be used for the kind of fraud that keeps serious collectors up at night. In fact, some of the world's most prestigious auction houses started using Coravin early on as an anti-fraud tool, sampling bottles to verify authenticity. Château Margaux and other leading estates have since adopted it to check large formats for cork taint before sending them to events.
Read the Article →"There is not a single published report of Coravin being used in this kind of wine fraud, largely because Coravin is one way – it only takes wine out and cannot put wine back." – Greg Lambrecht
Restaurants Are Improving By-the-Glass Lists
Upscale restaurants across the US are rethinking their by-the-glass programmes, and Coravin is at the centre of it. Beverly Hills' Waldorf Astoria added a dedicated Coravin section offering first-growth Bordeaux – Château Margaux, Mouton Rothschild – by the glass, with pours priced up to $540 for 3 oz of top Bordeaux and Burgundy. Something that would have been unimaginable before.
Read the Article →Rare Wines to Enjoy by the Glass in UK Restaurants and Bars
An 1840 Marsala Superiore Riserva at £160 a glass. Petrus 2010 at £850. Petrus 1980 at £1,250. Club Oenologique's survey of the UK's finest by-the-glass programmes reads like a collector's bucket list – and Coravin is the common thread across venues from London to Edinburgh making it possible.
Read the Article →New East Village Bar Only Pours Wines That Are at Least 10 Years Old
Long Count, a New York wine bar with a simple rule – every wine by the glass must be aged at least 10 years – is quietly dismantling the idea that vintage wine is elitist. The bar sources overlooked back-vintages: older whites, matured reds, even aged rosé. Once poured, each bottle is kept fresh using Coravin, allowing the bar to serve well-aged wines glass by glass without spoilage, and without the ceremony that usually surrounds them.
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Greg Lambrecht puts 14 years of Coravin to the ultimate test – a blind tasting that even he couldn't crack.
The Art of Preservation: A 14-Year Blind Tasting with Greg Lambrecht
What happens when you pour a glass with Coravin – and then come back for the rest of the bottle 14 years later? Greg lines up three glasses: a control bottle left untouched, one accessed nine years prior, and one poured from an original prototype 14 years before. The result? Even Greg couldn't tell them apart.
The Freedom to Drink Better
Whether you're a collector protecting a prized cellar, a sommelier building a by-the-glass programme, an archaeologist preserving a once-in-a-lifetime find, or simply someone who wants to enjoy a single glass tonight without sacrificing the rest of the bottle – Coravin was built for you. These stories show that the freedom to drink better isn't just a promise. It's been proven, glass by glass, year by year.