If you're a wine maker or a wine trader, chances are you're either doing some kind of virtual wine tastings... or will eventually.
COVID-19 is "inspiring" businesses like wineries and wine merchants to think creatively when it comes to getting potential customers to try their wines.
Fortunately, consumers appear to be willing to accommodate to the new normal (whatever that is) and make the most of new experiences, including virtual/at-home wine tastings.
At Winesave, we have the pleasure of working with wine businesses all over the world every day, and we're seeing a huge increase in companies and clubs that are using winesave PRO to protect small samples of wine contained in a wide variety of small containers including:
bottles
vials
tubes
bags
glasses
you name it
While we've been sharing our recommendations with those just starting with re-bottling, the truth is we've learned a lot from our more experienced customers on what they do to keep their wine samples as fresh as possible - here are ten tips:
#1 Firstly, you might not need winesave at all
We believe in being honest... the truth is, if you're filling your container all the way to the top before sealing, using winesave is overkill.
Winesave creates a protective layer between the surface of the wine and the air above it. If there's no air above the wine, you don't need winesave (and you can skip the rest of this article).
#2 Apply winesave to the empty container first
This hot tip came from one of our most experienced customers who has been using winesave for years to protect hundreds of thousands of large test tube like vials with wine samples...
Apply winesave into the container BEFORE you pour in your wine. The wine will displace the argon and will simply rise with the wine in the container.
#3 Apply just a little winesave, and gently
Since the container will be relatively small, you can get away with a shorter, half of a second application.
But make sure to also press the valve down gently so the argon comes out slower than usual.
#4 If you want to be really safe, top it up
If you have sample wines that are known to be extra fragile and/or you predict this batch of samples might need to be kept longer than usual, then you might want to top it up after pouring.
Again, just a short, gentle, half second application.
#5 Seal the container immediately
Argon may be twice as heavy as air but it takes some time to settle, so try to close the container as quickly as possible.
Don't apply winesave to all your containers first then close them all afterwards - pour, apply, close... pour, apply, close. Ideally, you'd have a helper - one person to pour the wine and another to apply and close.
#6 Keep your samples cool
Unless you’re shipping your samples out right away, keep them stored in wine cabinet, fridge, or at least in a cool, dark location.
The lower temperature will help reduce the effect of oxidation. Duh. ;)
#7 Ship your oldest samples first
This one's obvious, but make sure you're tracking the dates for each batch of samples bottled and ship out the first/oldest ones first.
While winesave is guaranteed to make your samples last longer, there's no escaping nature and your samples will eventually start to oxidise if kept around long enough. Exactly how long they'll last depends on numerous factors including the fragility of the wine, storage temperature, and how much time the wine was in contact with the air during re-bottling.
#8 Calculate how many canisters you need
The latest n greatest winesave PRO contains up to 150 full second applications. When calculating how many canisters you need to protect your samples, you'll need to decide whether you're just going to apply once (before or after), or twice (before AND after):
If only applying once for half a second, you should be able to protect up to 300 samples per canister.
If applying twice for half a second each, you should be able to protect up to 150 samples per canister.
#9 Buy winesave wholesale and save
Winesave is available in most countries at a wholesale discount when purchasing in larger quantities, typically 12 or more canisters, e.g. the MOQ is 12 in Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States.
If you're just getting started and just want to give it a try, then ask your local distributor or reseller if you can get wholesale pricing on 6 to start.
#10 "Protected by Winesave!"
Reassure your customers that their samples of wine will be "Protected by Winesave" as it's understandable if some of them might be a little nervous about getting their wine in these small containers vs. the bottles that they're used to.
Mention it on your website, include in your marketing, etc.
Let us know
Lastly, if you do start using winesave to protect your samples, simply let us know and we'll do all that we can to support you, including:
cross promotion on social media
adding your logo to the official Winesave Online Store in your country
potential event sponsorships
additional tips and support
And if this virtual wine tasting craze continues, we may even start an online directory of companies that offer samples protected by winesave - stay tuned!
Do you have any tips to share? Let us know!