Caroline Stewart
As soon as you pop the cork on a bottle of wine, the clock starts ticking. For bottles worth a pretty penny, we’ve rounded up premium wine preserves to help ensure glass after glass, you’re getting every bit of flavor you deserve.
Although we’ve showcased some budget wine preservation methods already, the following tools are far better suited to truly save the taste, aroma, and overall quality of the wine you open—whether you’re drinking one glass at a time or opening multiple bottles at once.
Gas displacement models, while a little on the pricey side, tend to preserve your wine better and longer than vacuum, pump, or pressure models. Instead of taking the oxygen out of the wine, these preservers displace the oxygen with an inert gas. This may involve more moving parts and cost, but for those who value the pristine taste of a good bottle of wine for days, weeks, or even months after opening the bottle, these gas displacement models may be worth the money—especially if you tend to drink very expensive wines.
Best Single Bottle All-In-One: Coravin ($359)
One of the cheaper gas displacement options on our list is the Coravin Model Eight Wine Preservation System. Unlike other systems, you don’t need a special cabinet or station—just stick the Coravin’s needle into the cork of the bottle so that the Argon gas pressurizes the bottle. Once the Coravin is inserted into the bottle, you can pour wine straight from this device. And when you’re finished, just pull the needle out with the device and the cork reseals itself. No need to mess with any corkscrews or recorking tools!
With the Coravin, you don’t have to finish a bottle of wine before you try a different one. You can try as many wines at a time as you’d like, whereas some gas displacement systems can usually just hold a set number of bottles at once. Just note that this tool isn’t meant for synthetic corks, but if you do use it on one, just keep the bottle stored upright. Lastly, each Argon canister lasts for about 4 to 5 bottles of wine (depending on how often you drink and how much you pour)—replacement canisters run around $9 a piece.
Best Ultra Premium Dispenser: Napa Technology WineStation Pristine PLUS ($5,000)
While this is definitely the most expensive pick on our list, it is sure to keep your wine tasting as good as it did the first time you opened it—even 60 days after the fact! The Napa Technology WineStation Pristine PLUS is a gas displacement wine preserving system that holds up to 4 bottles at a time in a thermoelectric cooling system (so you get properly cooled and fresh wines).
The WineStation Pristine PLUS gives you restaurant quality wine in your own home using argon gas. To set up this system, open it up using the key, place your bottles inside with the removable heads placed on each bottle, and then you’re set. Just plug the system into an outlet!
This temperature-controlled wine dispenser and preserver allows you to choose whether you want a taste, half glass, or full glass, with customizable LED controls for each bottle on the front of the system—you’ll never have to worry about portions ever again. There are even parental control locks to give you even more peace of mind and ensure your kids are wasting vintage wine on their terribly unrefined palates.
Best Combination Chiller and Preserver: Avanti Wine Chiller Preserver/Dispenser ($330)
While the Napa Technology WineStation can cool your wine bottles, it can only do so with 4 bottles at a time. The Avanti Wine Chiller Preserver/Dispenser system can chill up to 13 bottles of wine at a time while still having the option to preserve a bottle of wine, too. The racks inside the chiller can store 12 bottles of wine on their sides, while the 13th bottle can be placed in the preserving/dispensing system. And, comparably, it’s a reasonable budget pick if you want wine chilling and preservation in one.
Just uncork your bottle of wine and place the dispensing hose into the bottle. At the press of a button, this system dispenses wine that’s hooked up to the argon-based system. Here, you can program a set amount of wine to be dispensed, so when you’re not pouring wine, the rest of it will be saved. There’s even a height adjuster to fit all sorts of bottles (so you’re not limited to a particular size or type).
Best Gas Blanket Wine Preserver: Private Preserve True 1026 ($10)
Let’s say you’ve looked through all our suggestions and as cool as they all sound there is no way you’re spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on a gas-displacement wine preservation system without deciding if it’s worth it. That’s fair and we totally understand.
This little can of compressed air can give you a taste of what gas-displacement has to offer. Just pour yourself a glass of wine, and when you’re ready to store the rest of the bottle, place the tip of the Private Preserve True 1026 Gas Blanket spray bottle into the opening of the bottle. Spray for 1 second then spray for another 4 short bursts—and then you’re done! Every time you get a glass of wine and are ready to store the rest, just follow those same steps.
The Private Preserve True 1026 Gas Blanket Wine Preserver falls under our gas displacement picks because the spray replaces the air that’s in the opened bottle with a mixture of Nitrogen, Argon, and Carbon Dioxide in order to keep the wine fresh and Oxygen-free. The mixture is safe for food and drink, plus it’s similar to what we breath anyway (minus the oxygen and impurities). Depending on how often you get a glass of wine (and therefore, use this product), the Private Preserve True 1026 can keep the wine fresh for 5 days up to weeks at a time. Once you’ve used this spray, recork immediately, or try out a wine stopper like The Rabbit Bottle Stopper to form a tight seal.
