Sonic decanter really does turn plonk into fine wine
The Sonic Decanter is said to improve any vintage in minutes
November 22 2014
The inventors of a device that bombards wine with sound waves claim that they have discovered a means of radically improving cheap plonk.
The Sonic Decanter is said to improve any vintage in minutes, using high frequency sound waves to soften tannins and release aromas, allegedly recreating effects usually attainable only by laying down a bottle for years.
It sounds fantastic, but does it work? The Times took a prototype to the V Wine Room, a highly rated venue in West Hollywood, California.
We first tested a white, a 2012 blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc, by Trinitas Cellars, based in California’s Napa Valley. The wine retails for about $30 (£19) in the US.
The Sonic Decanter — which stands about 16in high and looks like a high-tech wine bucket — is easy to use, but you must follow the instructions carefully. You fill the metal basin at its centre with two cups of chilled water, put in an uncorked bottle, plug the device in, press a button and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes.
According to Adam Monte, a sommelier, the effects on our white were pronounced. “I do experience a noticeable difference,” he said. The aroma of the untreated wine held few surprises — “a lot of grapefruit, lemon, lime: all your bright citrus notes”. By contrast, a sniff of the sonically treated wine merited an “oh wow” from Mr Monte.
“That smells more open, more developed. It’s softer, more muted, more elegant. There is a wet stone quality, a mineral quality now. And more melon coming through.”
Taste also improved. The treated wine “feels much more integrated, and there’s much more melon. As opposed to drinking something that feels like a blend, I feel like I’m having a single varietal... It’s something I’ve never experienced before — it’s kind of nice.”
Mr Monte scored the untreated white at 6.25 out of 10, while the sonically treated wine scored an impressive 7.25 out of 10. The trial was off to a good start, but soon ran into a setback. Our second wine was a Californian zinfandel. We put it into the gadget, but when it came out 20 minutes later it was warm. The alcohol content was much more noticeable, eclipsing the wine’s other qualities. “I don’t want any more of that,” he said after one sip.
We tried again, with colder water and a 2008 Vie Syrah, from Las Madres Vineyards in Sonoma County, California. It cost about $40 from the producer. Again, Mr Monte identified a significant effect, though one not as pronounced as with the white. The syrah was “smoother, more supple, better integrated and more expressive”. He scored the untreated wine at 7.75 and the treated wine at 8.25. However, the same effects might have been achieved in an hour by decanting the wine traditionally, Mr Monte felt.
He was intrigued. “I didn’t expect so much from this little gadget.”
The real test was yet to come: could the Sonic Decanter, which is expected to sell for $250, improve cheap plonk? A bottle of Rabbit Ridge, a 2013 Californian red, costs $6.50. Straight from the bottle, it tastes, well, like cheap red wine. After 20 minutes in the Sonic Decanter, the aroma is fuller, softer, a bit fruitier. When sipped, it’s still pretty tart, with a metallic taste. It’s no patch on a $40 bottle but it is, I think, improved.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/food ... 275106.ece
