Just a year after it unveiled its D-Vine smart wine device at CES 2016, French startup 10-Vins returns to the desert of Las Vegas to debut the next iteration of its innovative “Keurig for wine.”
Referred to this time around as the D-Vine Connect, 10-Vins’ wine-centric appliance is the easiest way to enjoy a stroll through a vineyard from the comfort of your own kitchen. Featuring an interactive built-in touchscreen, D-Vine Connect is like having a world-class sommelier right at your fingertips.
Similar to what 10-Vins showed off last year, the new machine turns small glass vials of wine into a vineyard-quality glass in a matter of minutes. Think of its its dramatic change in quality in terms of putting 4 ounces of Franzia boxed wine into the machine and watching as the device kicks out the most dynamic glass of Pinot Noir you’ve ever tasted just a few minutes later. It’s no gimmick — we’ve taste-tested the D-Vine Connect, and the change in quality is astounding.
Aside from pumping out high-quality wine, the D-Vine Connect also acts as an ultra-reliable wine-pairing assistant. Perhaps you’re in the mood for a Pinot Gris — with a few simple selections on the embedded touchscreen, the device quickly shows what kind of food (fresh veggies or fish) would pair best with that selection. No guessingsand check work needed.
What’s even more impressive is the fact that the machine learns its users tastes over time, leaning on advanced AI to make recommendations on future orders. Once the D-Vine Connect makes a suggestion, all that stands between and owner and ordering the selection is one click on the touchscreen. Additionally, the interface makes it easy for users to explore its vast array of available wines, allowing for the discovery of new combinations or flavors.
“Seeing the success of the traditional D-Vine — we sold more than 600 units in 2016 — we wanted to take it to the next level,” said Thibaut Jarrousse, CEO of 10-Vins. “We want to bring a complete wine experience and make users’ lives easier with a personal wine assistant.”
And what about that vineyard experience? After a user selects a certain wine, the Connect plays a short movie featuring images of the wine’s vineyard, along with a brief explanation of the selection currently being tasted. It’s like wine tasting throughout France and the Napa Valley, in the same day.
At the conclusion of CES, 10-Vins says the first edition of its D-Vine machine will be available in hotels and for interested consumers in a handful of U.S. cities. Toward the end of 2017, the company plans on opening a full-on wine lounge bar in California before making its D-Vine Connect available for the masses some time in 2018.
