This thing uses sound to make any wine taste better
Dionysus Technology Concepts launches a crowdfunding campaign for the Sonic Decanter, which promises to use ultrasonic energy to improve your wine in 15 minutes.
While wine snobs may turn up their noses at the thought, most of us are perfectly happy with our sub-$10 bottles of wine. The folks behind Dionysus Technology Concepts describe themselves as "lovers of good wine," and they've taken to Kickstarter with a new product they claim makes every wine, whether cheap or expensive, taste even better.
The Sonic Decanter uses ultrasonic energy to improve a wine's chemical and molecular structure, purportedly giving your wine a better aroma and taste, the company claims. That's because exposing wines to ultrasonic energy is said to break down chemicals like sulfur dioxide, a common wine additive that helps preserve the wine, a process that CEO Michael Coyne claims softens the wine's taste. Decanting the wine takes as little as 15 minutes, and you can start the decanting process either via hard buttons on the Sonic Decanter itself or via the company's connected smartphone app.
These claims are backed up by John Allen, a 30-year wine industry veteran and wine shop owner who tried the Sonic Decanter. "I saw the Sonic Decanter change wine in ways that I had not expected," Allen said in a statement. "It makes wines that may have a bit too much 'grip' or tannins much softer, more flavorful...makes the wine more gentle...more drinkable."
At a suggested retail price of $249 (about £155, AU$284) the Sonic Decanter isn't cheap, though it's arguably cheaper in the long run than a permanent switch to more expensive wine. Backers of the Sonic Decanter can get a device for as little as $99, with the first batch expected to ship in May 2015.
That's presuming, of course, that the company can raise the $85,000 it's seeking to make the project a reality. So far, they've raised just under $14,000 toward that goal, with 32 days remaining in the campaign.
So if you're a wine snob who turns up your nose at the thought of cheap wine, you should probably go ahead and pass on this. But if you are a regular drinker of cheap or moderately priced wines but dream of drinking like a Lannister, the Sonic Decanter might just be the tool for you.