The folks at Coravin are famous for the Coravin wine preservation system, a tool that allows subsampling of wine from a bottle intended for long-term storage. Now, Coravin has developed another creative solution for wine lovers who want to enjoy a bottle of wine up to four weeks: The Coravin Pivot.
Before we share our thoughts on the Coravin Pivot, though, a little bit about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, our podcast, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!
What is the Coravin Pivot?
The Coravin Pivot is a device that enables injection of food-grade argon gas into an open wine bottle to preserve wine. This enables wine lovers to drink a bottle of wine at their own pace—over a period of days, or even over an entire month.
The Coravin Pivot package comes with the following:
An injection device (four colors available: black, teal, grey and coral)
One argon gas cylinder
Two proprietary Pivot stoppers
A card stock Quick Start Guide
Take a closer look at the product itself:
How Does the Coravin Pivot Work?
Coravin has became popular with wine collectors and restaurants by inventing and improving a needle and argon gas system for subsampling wine from a bottle without removing the cork. This allowed wine enthusiasts to try a collectable wine over a period of months or years.
The Coravin Pivot system differs from the original Coravin system in that the cork is removed from the bottle and the bottle is consumed within a few days or within a month. How does it work? The preserving argon gas is trapped in the bottle by pre-inserting a stopper (the proprietary Pivot stopper) into the top of the bottle.
Here’s a short video by Coravin on various applications of the Coravin Pivot for everyday wines:
How Do You Use the Coravin Pivot?
The Coravin Pivot comes with a one page Quick Start Guide that’s easy to follow. There are two easy steps that take under a minute before you enjoy your wine.
Installing the Capsule
To install the Capsule onto the Coravin device, simply unscrew the black capsule cup and insert the capsule onto the device. Then, quickly screw the cup onto the system until tight (so that the argon gas does not escape).
Pouring Wine
Open the wine bottle (cork or screw cap, doesn’t matter). Wipe the inside lip of the bottle with a cloth to dry it and ensure that the stopper is dry as well. Then, insert the stopper. Insert the wine tube into the stopper until you hear a click. Hold the bottle and tip the spout over your glass. Simply press and hold the button to pour and release the button to stop pouring.
When you are done serving, remove the Coravin system from the bottle and close the stopper. Easy peasy!
Does the Coravin Pivot Really Work?
We tested our teal unit over a one month period.
Since we had only the two stoppers, we used one stopper for a red wine (Oregon Pinot Noir) and one for a white wine (Spanish Albarino), which are our go-to varieties for everyday drinking.
At one week, both wines tasted quite good. We could tell that the wines were very slightly muted but tasted so much better and fresher than if we had just stored them in the refrigerator with their cork.
At one month, both wines were drinkable. However, the aromas and flavors were more muted. Neither bottle had aromas of oxidation at one month. While not as enjoyable, we had no problem finishing or cooking with the wines at the end of one month.
In summary, we highly recommend the Coravin Pivot for folks who want to enjoy a wine 7-10 days after opening, and perhaps a couple weeks later for more intense wines.
Coravin Pivot vs Other Coravin Products
Here’s our rundown of how the Coravin Pivot compares to other Coravin products:
The Coravin Pivot is easier to use than other Coravin products like the Model 6. The dispensing mechanism is easier to use; there is no needle involved and no pumping action on the button is necessary while dispensing.
The Coravin Pivot is less expensive than the other Coravin products. It’s about half the price.
The Coravin Pivot pours faster than other Coravin products.
You can get more pours out of a Coravin Pivot than the other Coravin products I’ve tried over the years. I was able to get 37 pours out of one argon capsule.
However, the original Coravin products, like the Model 6 and Model 5, all preserve wine for much longer than the Pivot. The original Coravin products perform better for expensive or fragile wines.
Do I Need a Coravin Pivot?
Not all wine lovers need a Coravin Pivot. However, there are some wine lovers who might get a lot of use from it:
Those studying for the WSET Diploma or Sommelier courses would benefit immensely from this tool.
Wine shops or those showing their wines to several wine shops during the course of a day or week would benefit from the Coravin Pivot.
Wine enthusiasts who want to pace the consumption of a wine over a few days or a week may enjoy this system as the flavor is less muted when stored under argon gas than ambient air.
Is the Coravin Pivot a Good Gift?
The Coravin Pivot is a great gift for someone who is a fan of Coravin but has not splurged on one of the previous systems or was looking for something at a lower price point to use with everyday wines.
The Coravin Pivot is also a nice gift for someone who would prefer to drink a bottle of wine over days and weeks. It’s good for wine lovers who like to buy wines in the $15 to $50 range and plan to enjoy those wines over a week. If you enjoy sub-$15 wines, then I’d recommend the Vacu Vin which is more economical.
The Coravin Pivot is a good gift for someone studying for a wine certification like the WSET Diploma (DipWSET). Or for wine lovers who like to blind taste wines for fun with friends.
Finally, the Coravin Pivot could be a good gift for a couple or roommates when one person loves red wine and the other loves white wine. With the Coravin Pivot, they can consume a bottle over days or a month without losing their wine to oxidation.
Where Can I Get Coravin Pivot Capsule Refils?
First, note that you can get 20 or more pours per Capsule. We were able to get 37 out of our first capsule. However, when you do need them, Coravin Pivot Capsule refills are often available at your local wine shop, box stores, and online.
The Coravin Pivot Verdict: Is it Worth the Money?
When we purchased the Pivot for our review, we were honestly a little skeptical. The company already has several good products on the market and continues to make improvements to their needle based units.
This particular Coravin product is more practical for a wider base of consumers—namely, those of us who like to drink moderately priced wines over days or weeks and don’t want the hassle of storing and managing bottles that have been micro-sampled by units like the Coravin 6.
The Coravin Pivot is also available at a better price point, below $100 in many markets. Also, since the product is fairly new and not a lot of people know about it yet, it might make for an impressive gift, as most people associate Coravin with a higher price point product.
However you decide to preserve your wine, we hope you also enjoy every sip!
Cheers!