EVEN THE WINE BOTTLE IS 'SMART'

IN BRIEF

Because everything is "smart" these days, wine bottles are getting an Internet connection, too. Meet a refillable case that keeps wine fresh for up to 30 days.

Within the past decade, we’ve seen a lot of developments in “smart” technology. There are smart phones, smart cars, smart watches, and even smart windows. Since we’ve been on this “smart” binge, why not give a simple, elementary item, such as a wine bottle, a Wi-Fi connection?

Well, Kuvée has done  just that. This creative company invented a wine bottle case that allows users to connect to the Internet.

Kuvée comes with a built-in touchscreen that offers a multitude of functions. After inserting a wine bottle of your choice into the Kuvée case, you can read about the wine’s history and view suggested food pairings. The device also offers serving tips, personalized wine recommendations based off your purchase, and the ability to reorder the wine directly from the website.

One of Kuvée’s greatest selling points is that it boasts the ability to keep wine fresh for up to 30 days. That’s a much longer duration than a regular wine bottle offers. Kuvée also allows you to check how much wine you have left in your bottle. Once you’ve finished your bottle and are ready for a new one, just remove the old one and insert a new one with a simple click.

Hosting a dinner party and your friends all want different wines, but you don’t want to open several new ones? Remove the wine canisters and change them out with ease. Each Kuvée bottle has a specialized seal which prevents oxygen from entering and spoiling the wine. Now, you can drink “wine by the glass any day of the week,” says Kuvée CEO Vijay Manwani.

THE PURCHASING HURDLE

The company just received $6 million in funding from several big investors, and their IndieGogo page has raised more than twice their original goal. They’re now selling and shipping the Kuvée system and four bottles of wine directly to customers – with a catch.

The first shipments won’t go out until October 2016. The only states receiving their orders during this time are California and Massachusetts. By early 2017, Kuvée will ship to 40 other states (sorry Pennsylvania and Utah).

Currently, there are only a few wines that are compatible with the Kuvée system. With more time, we expect to see more partnerships – and more wine.