Coravin (173 of 296)

Photo courtesy of Coravin

I have been a long time fan of Coravin since it came to the market and recently had the most incredible experience at Bouley Test Kitchen with the new Coravin Model 2 Elite systems. Coravin has some new colors which add the perfect pop of color to any kitchen and wine bar! For those that have not had the pleasure of trying the Coravin, the beauty of this tool is that it allows you to enjoy your wine without ever opening the bottle. A surgical needle is inserted into the bottle through the cork and allows the wine to siphon using argon capsules through the needle and into your glass.

You never have to open your wine bottle, yet you can always have a glass! 

Coravin (72 of 296)

Photo courtesy of Coravin

coravin (15 of 38)

Photo courtesy of Coravin

The Bouley Test Kitchen was the perfect venue to debut the new Coravin Model 2 Elite. To truly understand the importance of taste, aromas, and textures, guests were blindfolded and given an incredible first course. Trying food and wine blindfolded is a one of a kind experience where you are forced to use all your other senses, allowing you to really experience your food and wine without any distractions. The first course was Forager’s Treasure of Wild Mushrooms, Sweet Garlic, Special Spices, and Grilled Toro paired with a 2013 Dominique Lafon Bourgogne Blanc. At first, I kept stabbing at my plate and dropping mushrooms off my fork, but once I found the first bite, magic happened! This pairing was pretty incredible. The earthiness of the mushrooms combined with the crisp and fruit forward white wine really complimented each other, while the grilled toro brought out some preserved lemon notes and texturally brought the pairing together.

IMG_5352I was seated at the silver table, which was fun and unique and featured a menu with white wines, fish, meat, and sweets. A second course of Pennsylvania Chicken baked with Alfalfa and Clover Hay accompanied by Organic Butter Beans, Brussels Sprouts, and Napa Cabbage was enjoyed and paired with a 2012 Smaragd, Dürnsteiner Kellerberg, FX Pichler. The wine was a rare Austrian wine and when paired with the chicken, it was quite the perfect pairing. We were not blindfolded the entire dinner, so I was able to enjoy the beautiful plating and exquisite pairings for the second and third courses.

To finish the meal with something sweet, a Millefeuille Thousand Layer Cake made from Puff Pastry, Vanilla Cream, and Dulce de Leche was paired with a sweet German wine. 2013 Scheurebe Beerenauslese Westhofen Morstein, Keller was the perfect wine with this dessert. I happen to love German wines, and in my opinion Beerenauslese is very under appreciated simply because many people do not know how to properly pair and enjoy these sweet German wines.

IMG_5350All the wines that were poured at the silver table used the silver Coravin Model 2 Elite, while the red table and gold tables had a completely separate menu and Coravin color. Not only does this showcase the incredible talent, service, and style of Bouley, but it also shows the versatility of Coravin and how it can “color your life”. Want to give a gift with some color, style, and fitting to someone’s colorful personality? The systems come in gold, silver, and red and are perfect for any wine lover, Sommelier, collector, and more. Always remember to eat what you like and drink what you love… please pair responsibly!