Introducing Optiwine: Nanotechnology For Your Wine!
It may just be me, but when the ‘Optiwiner’ nano-aerator showed up in my letterbox I suddenly began to envision drinking wine with Ironman or even better, Oliver Queen aka the Arrow (swoon!). Perhaps I watch too many superhero movies and telly programs where ‘nanotechnology’ is mentioned. More to the point, it was safe to say when the guys behind this new wine gadget approached me to trial it out, I couldn’t help but say yes!
A huge thanks to wine enthusiast & collector Olivier Caste and oenologist & winemaker Michael Paetzold for sending me a couple of Optiwiner’s over from France to give a whirl. I have spent the last few weeks in secret research mode in my underground headquarters (haha sorry can’t seem to get away from those superhero references!) trialling out the Optiwiner on various different wines so I can give you the best opinion possible. But first, let’s get to know more about Optiwine.
The indispensable complement to the corkscrew.
What do you use the Optiwiner for?
It is a tool which helps put just the right amount of air into a wine to soften any harsh/astringent flavours and it brings out the best in the wine on the palate and the nose. It is a gentle way to awaken the flavour and aromatic profile of a wine.
This completely revolutionary appliance breathes life gently and respectfully into your wine for a longer and more intense tasting experience.
How was Optiwine created?
3 years of research and comparative tastings of over 300 wines was undertaken to develop and perfect the Optiwine product. It is a unique patented method, created and manufactured in France.
Michael succeeded in quantifying the precise amount of oxygen required to liberate the aromas captive in a bottle of wine and optimize its potential: Optiwine was born!
What is the Optiwine made of?
The ‘Optiwiner’ tool is made from high quality resin (Surlyn). Basically it looks like crystal but doesn’t have the fragility or delicacy of crystal (i.e. we don’t have to keep it int he cupboard for only special occasions!). It is shock resistant, scratch proof, completely odourless and offers no molecular interaction.
The virtually transparent tool has 16 sides which I think classes it as a hexadecagon (all angles are equal and all sides are congruent).
Optiwine is a precision instrument that has been designed to create a lingering, intense and optimal tasting experience.
The different types of Optiwiner
There are 3 styles of Optiwine you can purchase depending on what you normally drink:
- Optiwiner 4: Red wine 0 to 4 years old
- Optiwiner 6: Red wine 5 to 10 years old, white & rose 0 to 2 years old
- Optiwiner 8: Red wine over 10 years old, white and rose wine over 2 years old
How to nano-aerate your wine with the Optiwiner
This is the part I found interesting, you can see what I did for my 750ml bottle in the video below. But basically as soon as you remove the wines closure you pop the Optiwiner into the neck of the bottle, hold it in and then slowly move the bottle back and forth. The instruction book said that for a standard 750ml bottle you should do it 3 times and then let the bottle sit (with the Optiwiner in) for 10 minutes. If you have a half bottle or magnum, then you rock the bottle back and forth 2 times for 375ml bottle and 5 times for a 1.5 litre bottle.
Nano-aerating my vino with @Optiwine! More details on the blog soon.. #optiwine #wine A video posted by Travelling Corkscrew Wine Blog (@travellingcorkscrew) on
My verdict
To be honest, both myself and Mr. Spittoon could definitely notice the difference between the nano-aerated wine and the non aerated wine (for each of our experiments we got 2 bottles of each wine – same producer, style, vintage etc). We tried a number of different wines and were happily surprised that the Optiwiner ‘breathed’ more aromatic freshness, complexity and smoothness into the wines. I also like that the Optiwiner’s are so easy to clean and I didn’t have to worry about them getting broken easily. It looks good, without the stress of ‘tipsy Casey’ being able to break it!
So far we have only tested it out with screw-cap closed wine, so it looks like the research will have to continue. Off to the bottle shop I go!
For more information make sure you to stop by the Optiwine website or connect with them on Facebook & Twitter.
