The Auswine Forum

Just wondering if anyone has any experience with a vintec SoWine machine as yet?
http://www.pressloft.com.au/product.php?pid=456787

Unsure if it's worth the money.

Graham

For over $500 they are not cheap. A bottle of winesave is $25 and I know it doesn't keep the wine cool, but it does preserve it just as well. Actually it probably preserves it better, as it displaces the oxygen with argon.

Cheers
Ian

If you've a cellar full of Grange, it's probably OK value. For most mere mortals, I say it's far too expensive.

Love to know how much it costs them to make it. If it was say $200, I expect they'd sell far more than 3 times what they would at $650.

Cheers
Tim

You're right, not cost effective. Who am I kidding , leftover wine I think not

Graham

A trend in wine retail is bigger versions of this big in London, etc. You buy a card with credit and swipe it to obtain samples of wine (often expensive Barolo, Bordeaux, Burgundy, etc) You can then purchase a bottle if you so desire. I know of one such establishment in the Australian city I live in.

I think it's a winning concept you want to enjoy expensive bottles of wine over an extended period of time.

I think the one you saw in the UK was different than this..as that was a dispenser..

I've seen the dispenser machines...Some do a better job of sealing off the wine than others....I haven't heard much as far as performance (how long will the wine stay good) but they do seem like a great idea.

This one is more like a cooler/air vacuum that sucks out the air...but no dispenser...Way too expensive for what it is though...As someone said earlier, if it was cheaper I think they'd move a lot more.

They'll have them in Aldi for $99 in a few years

Hi everyone,

I recently came across this post and thought I could perhaps shed some light on some of the good questions you have about the SoWine. I work at Vintec so I can give you some first-hand info on this new product and hopefully be of assistance.

Re price of unit: Graham, you're right the SoWine could seem a little expensive at first glance, but let me tell you a little bit more about the technology first. It's actually quite a complex product, which involves both a dual wine preservation system (2 oxygen-extraction heads) and a dual wine refrigeration system which has 2 independently controlled temp. compartments, making it complicated to build in such a small format. What really makes the SoWine unique though is that each oxygen-extraction head is equipped with a valve which adapts to the rim of the bottle, and also with pressure-detecting sensors which reactivate the "oxygen-extraction" process whenever pressure starts to release.

All the above contributes to making the SoWine quite a costly product to manufacture, and in addition to this until recently it was distributed via retail channels, which increased the price point.

We've listened to our customers though and wish to make this great product more accessible, so we've recently decided to sell the product direct from Vintec Australia (instead of via retail channels). This has allowed us to make the SoWine more affordable: you can find out more on the SoWine page on our website http://www.vintec.com.au/index.php?sect ... ucts&id=69.

Tony

P.S: please feel free to contact me directly if you have any other questions about the SoWine technology tony@vintec.com.au

if you need one of these you ain't invited enough friends over (or maybe you jsut aint got any)

Send me one and I'll do a fair review of the product and post it up here. (and I'll even send it back!!)

I'm always leaving bits left in bottles since I"m the only one drinking them during the week. Although I usually use Winesave gas and put them back in the fridge. I can understand it's a complicated product but to me as a consumer it's a $500 hammer to hit a 1c nail. Unless you drinking $50+ bottles during the week as quaffers where the spoiled left overs give you a decent ROI in using something like this i.e you are constantly not finishing/forgetting the bottles you have and basically pouring $25 down the sink each time. Maybe if you like to spoil yourself and only have a glass at dinner during the week of some quality wine it would pay for itself (hubby likes red and missus likes white)

But I must say the gadget guy in me likes it though.

How is it better than using the gas?

I would understand if it also dispensed the wine (ie you managed to prevent reentry of oxygen into the bottle when you take it out to pour a glass), but in absence of that, isn't this just the same as using a vacuum seal/pump and putting the wine in the fridge?

I must agree with you dave, the gadget looks great! Unfortunately though all of my excuses of 'having to finish the bottle' will disappear. Does anyone actually own one that can let us know what they think?

Panda 9D wrote:How is it better than using the gas?

Hi Panda,

Too answer your question:

- It's mainly better because there are no consumables (no need to buy replacement gas, and you will never run out)

- Functions similarly to using gas, slowing down the oxidisation process and unpleasant flavours developing

- Also chills two bottles of wine to ideal drinking temperatures, which contributes significantly to the appreciation of flavour and “mouth-feel”.

PaulG wrote:I would understand if it also dispensed the wine (ie you managed to prevent reentry of oxygen into the bottle when you take it out to pour a glass), but in absence of that, isn't this just the same as using a vacuum seal/pump and putting the wine in the fridge?

Hi PaulG,

That’s a good question. Vacuum pumps work in a similar manner, and can be effective for a few hours, but as you may have noticed pressure quickly decreases and air seeps back in to the bottle (so hand pumps work for only 12-24h, at best). What makes the SoWine unique is that each vacuum is equipped with a pressure sensor that re-engages the vacuum pump regularly, ensuring that adequate pressure is kept in the bottle in order to keep your wine intact.
The SoWine also allows you to bring 2 bottles of wine to correct drinking temperatures (8° for whites, and 18° for reds) – whereas normal fridges (set at 2°) mute wine flavours, make tannins perceptibly harsher and accentuate bitterness and acidity.

Thanks for the response.

I take your point, but I'm not too sure if the improvement is a significant one over and above what one achieves with, for example, winesave gas, or vacuum pump plus refridgeration.

As I said in my first post, I would certainly be interested if the device allowed for dispensing, as that would mean that one could (for example), open a bottle, put it straight into the machine, and never risk oxidation beyond the first 10 seconds from uncorking to insertion throughout the life of the bottle, whereas at present the wine would be additionally oxidised each time it was removed to pour a glass....

The Enomatic machines have been a great success in the UK & have spread outside London. I'm an irregular visited to the store which installed the first machine. There is even one in a local merchant, here in bumpkin-land.

I decided to start mucking around with argon at home - a bit of a weird hobby. Instead of buying the small cans of winesave I rented a D size cylinder of argon from BOC. This way I don't have to worry about being stingy with the argon when purging the bottle - plus by my estimates it should last at least 5 years of serious "winesaving". I also purchased a few taps and draw tubes (as seen in the photo) and a bag of balloons. The taps only cost about $15 each from an Aussie supplier of Winesaver Pro (http://www.winesaverpro.com/). My plan was to use the argon cylinder to fill the ballons to generate enough pressure of argon to push wine through the draw tube and out the tap when u press the nozzle. The argon in the balloon replenishes the head space from the loss of wine. Ended up needing three balloons inside each other to generate sufficient pressure! Pretty much a poor mans version of the same sort of system you see in those wine tasting venues with electronic pay-cards etc. Turns out it works pretty well and I have managed to keep bottles in the fridge for 2 weeks no problem. I dont feel guilty opening up 5 decent wines and slowly drinking them.

The Sowine really works well for me. the bottle can keep for over 2 weeks without any noticable drop off. Vac pumps can't hold the flavour as well.

Love the system, Redstuff. How do you replensish the baloons without the gas escaping though?

I usually fill the balloons enough so i dont need to change them for the whole of the bottle.

Ahh, I see. So do you fill the baloon, then just pinch the end to stop the gas escaping until it is on top of the bottle?

Also, can I ask how much the whole system cost to set up (including the canister - which you say you are renting, so do you have it for a limited period?)

What is this unfinished wine of which you all speak?
Under what circumstances does wine remain in a bottle at the end of an evening?
Surely any such wine would be undrinakable, by definition?
Bless my soul, is there a whole world of unfinished wine out there?
This is all very much news to me, I must say...

GG

With this system I usually have 3 or 4 bottles open at the same time and my better half doesn't drink her quota every night. However, my system was established in an effort to cut back somewhat

I use an electrical vacuum pump at home. It will pump automatically when the air comes back, have a better work than the handy pump.
I bought one from freshmywine(http://www.freshmywine.com)
However, it doesn't have refridgeration, so not as good as the SoWine,but cheaper

I can sympathise with Red's predicament. After building to a bottle of red solo a night over a few years, at the start of 2013 I purchased some magnums on a "too good to be true" price basis. I am now progressing to capacity of "up to" a magnum per night", and have even managed to peak at a full magnum plus (plus being 80% of a bottle of muscat). I think Red's gas gear is sort of like a self managed rehab program. I may have to look into it after the annual wine trip with the lads in May ...

GraemeG wrote:What is this unfinished wine of which you all speak?
Under what circumstances does wine remain in a bottle at the end of an evening?
Surely any such wine would be undrinakable, by definition?
Bless my soul, is there a whole world of unfinished wine out there?
This is all very much news to me, I must say...

GG

Yeh. I'm with him. Half empy bottles is just not on.

Carl

redstuff wrote:I decided to start mucking around with argon at home - a bit of a weird hobby. Instead of buying the small cans of winesave I rented a D size cylinder of argon from BOC. This way I don't have to worry about being stingy with the argon when purging the bottle - plus by my estimates it should last at least 5 years of serious "winesaving". I also purchased a few taps and draw tubes (as seen in the photo) and a bag of balloons. The taps only cost about $15 each from an Aussie supplier of Winesaver Pro (http://www.winesaverpro.com/). My plan was to use the argon cylinder to fill the ballons to generate enough pressure of argon to push wine through the draw tube and out the tap when u press the nozzle. The argon in the balloon replenishes the head space from the loss of wine. Ended up needing three balloons inside each other to generate sufficient pressure! Pretty much a poor mans version of the same sort of system you see in those wine tasting venues with electronic pay-cards etc. Turns out it works pretty well and I have managed to keep bottles in the fridge for 2 weeks no problem. I dont feel guilty opening up 5 decent wines and slowly drinking them.

This looks frigging awesome
I just found it
How much for a canister / cylinder of argon?
Is this setup still working?
Cheers
Michel

It's about $100 rent a year for a D size argon cylinder and the initial cost of argon is about $125. You could get away with food grade nitrogen and it would probably be cheaper. You will need a regulator as well. My cylinder will probably last 5 years if not, 10. I will try and figure out how many cans of winepreserve argon this equates to. If you are unsure about how to setup a cylinder of compressed gas you should not attempt at using this method of wine preservation. Large compressed gas cylinders can be extremely deadly in numerous situations.

redstuff wrote:It's about $100 rent a year for a D size argon cylinder and the initial cost of argon is about $125. You could get away with food grade nitrogen and it would probably be cheaper. You will need a regulator as well. My cylinder will probably last 5 years if not, 10. I will try and figure out how many cans of winepreserve argon this equates to. If you are unsure about how to setup a cylinder of compressed gas you should not attempt at using this method of wine preservation. Large compressed gas cylinders can be extremely deadly in numerous situations.

Point taken
Does it work?
Do you pereive the 'sweetness' of argon?