Spoiler Alert: This Wine Bottle Might Be Smarter Than You

Wine lovers seem to be salivating over the debut of a new internet-connected wine bottle that keeps reds and whites fresh for up to 30 days, made by Boston-based startup Kuvée.

Kuvée surpassed its $50,000 funding goal on crowdfunding website Indiegogo in the first day of its launch last week, and now, the startup has raised about $105,000 from more than 500 backers as of Wednesday.

Entrepreneur and wine collector Vijay Manwani said he came up with the idea for Kuvée after he completed a wine certification program at Boston University.

He had two realizations while he was obtaining his certification: First, that it’s hard for people to learn about wine at home or on their own because many bottles of wine can’t be open at the same time, lest they spoil after one to three days. And second, that wine is a complicated, intimidating category for many people.

Kuvée, which is backed by $6 million in venture capital funding, “unlocks choice” and makes wine accessible to the average enthusiast, Manwani said.

“Our job is to create a service where the average wine lover can enjoy wine by the glass, any day of the week,” said Manwani, previously the co-founder of Atlanta-based digital communication software CarNow Inc., in an interview.

On Indiegogo, customers can purchase the Kuvée Bottle and four wines for $179, to be shipped to customers in Massachusetts and California by October.

Users can insert one of the four Kuvée-curated wines into the Kuvée Bottle. The patent-pending technology in the Kuvée Bottle prevents oxygen from entering, so the wine stays fresh for up to 30 days after opening.

The Kuvée Bottle also features a WiFi-connected LCD touchscreen, which suggests food pairings, the number of glasses remaining within each wine bottle, and the background of each wine.

“The only time it becomes a ‘smart’ bottle is the moment you pick it up, just before you pour, it has the opportunity to nudge you into the right behavior,” he said, adding that the bottle can also tell the user when the wine is too warm or cold.

Kuvée has partnered with various wineries in California ranging from Bonny Doon Vineyard to Pine Ridge Vineyards, Girard in Napa Valley and B. R. Cohn. It’s currently working with 12 brands, and about three to four different wines from each brand will be offered to Kuvée customers.

The system is manufactured in Mexico, China, Italy and the U.S.

The company’s investors include General Catalyst Partners, Founder Collective, Bolt and angel investors.

Source: Boston Business Journal, Sara Castellanos