Ever thought about making that cheap-ish, young bottle of wine taste like something you’d find at the back of a wine cellar? Well, you’re in luck. The Clef du Vin is a wine aging tool that allows you to enjoy young wines without having to wait for them to age. It works on all types of wines: dry, sweet, mellow, sparkling, red, white or rose. Since it’s just six inches long, you can even take it with you when you travel. In fact, the elegant engraved brushed stainless steel tool comes with its own sleek case.
The process is simple. You just pour a tiny bit of wine into a glass, then dip the Clef du Vin into it. It will accelerate the process of oxidation, so that, for every second that the wine is in contact with the metal, it will age one year.You do need to keep in mind that the effect is both cumulative and irreversible, so it is possible to go too far. Because, you see, the product was not actually developed so that we could turn cheap wine into fine aged vintages. In fact, the manufacturer considers this side effect a “guilty little pleasure”.
The Clef du Vin was actually created as a finely calibrated instrument that is meant to instantly and precisely determine the aging potential of a wine. If it maintains its quality after prolonged contact or actually improves, then it is considered keepable, because it will age well. On the other hand, if it deteriorates, then it should be drunk within a year. Fortunately, you need only test a few drops at a time, so you don’t have to worry about wasting a lot of wine because you’ve left the tool in for too long.
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In a happy combination of science and oenology, the Clef du Vin was designed, created and patented by two experts in the field. The metal alloy was developed over the course of ten years by Franck Thomas, who was named Best Sommelier of France and Europe 2000, in collaboration with Laurent Zanon, who is both a chemist and an oenologist.
I can’t even imagine a more perfect gift for oenophiles, wine collectors, or anyone who just enjoys wine …(even if that person is yourself). And if that person happens to be the impatient sort, then they will appreciate this even more, as they can watch young wines blossom right before their very eyes, revealing all the secrets of their hidden aromas in seconds.
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