Product works great. It allows me to enjoy a great bottle of wine over 4-5 days and not loose any taste.

At first I was off to a great start - very easy to use however I started to notice the bottles I had used began to leak from the cork. If liquid was able to get out - air surely was able to get in. For the price I paid for this I did not expect to have this problem (and a mess in my fridge)

I haven't heard form their customer service yet....

Was very excited to buy this device and be able to enjoy a glass of wine here and there from some of the nicer variaties in my collection. I followed the instructions and watched several videos. Worked great for the first pour, a couple days later had another glass and it was ok. A couple weeks later I had another glass, and it didn't taste right...but thought maybe it was something I ate that distorted the taste. About a month later I poured another glass and it was terrible....the wine had clearly gone bad. I bought this under the impression I would be able to enjoy a single bottle for months and that clearly wasn't the case. I am not willing to try this on another $200+ bottle of wine. I am very disappointed and would not recommend this to anyone.

An Uprade?

The Coravin Model Two Wine System is the SECOND GENERATION model from Coravin. Before getting a hold of this new version, I was looking forward to taking ownership of what I anticipated would be an upgraded or "2.0" model. Once I had it however, I was disappointed to learn that in some ways it is actually a downgrade from the original version (yes, despite the higher price).

NOTE: Since I imagine that most prospective purchasers of this unit will not already own the original version but be looking at Coravin for the first time, I will first provide my thoughts and review from that perspective (much of that applies to either version and is in fact also in my review of the original Coravin 1000), and then compare the two units at the end of this review.
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*Highlights, Pros & Cons*

>Pros
-UNIQUE: One of a kind device to extract wine from it's bottle WITHOUT removing the cork.

-SIMPLE to use: Insert syringe-like hollow needle through the cork, pressurize and pour wine out through needle, remove needle and the cork reseals itself.

-COST SAVINGS BENEFIT: Waste less wine when you cannot drink a full bottle within a short period.

-DIVERSIFY your wine drinking: Freedom to sample more and different wines, costlier wines, etc. without fear of waste.

-Collectors and Aficionados: Makes the impossible, possible. Sample and test aging and cellared wines at different times as desired without opening bottle (with a caveat, see cons). Spread out the time period in which you enjoy special wines.

>Cons
-Coravin system uses PROPRIETARY Argon capsules which are priced at a premium.

-BUILD QUALITY of this Model Two has been reduced quite a bit from the original model (see differences below), although ergonomics is improved.

-There is NOT a 100% success rate of corks resealing, making use a bit of a gamble sometimes. I have had some older bottles not reseal and the wine oxidized within days.

*In Depth Review*

On The Concept

This unique new product introduces a new phrase to the lexicon of wine drinkers. With the Coravin Wine System, I will usually no longer be opening bottles of wine, but instead "accessing" wine from my bottles.

This is a good device for me because I am the only wine drinker in my household. I am not a wine aficionado or a character from the film "Sideways", but I do enjoy and appreciate a good glass of wine at least two or three times a week, (especially with a meal). I can't remember exactly how many partially full bottles of stale wine were dumped down my kitchen sink, but it was an awful lot. I just don't drink all that much at a time, and often several days will pass between glasses. Even with the $20-$40 or so bottles that I normally buy, that is a lot of money poured down the drain. Of course the proprietary Coravin argon capsules cost $10 each which puts the cost of use at about $2.50 per bottle, but it is still cost effective even with a $20 or so bottle of wine. I find though that now that I own the Coravin, I feel the freedom to sometimes indulge in better, pricier wines without fear of them going to waste.

Of course the Coravin isn't aimed only at someone like me as its target consumer. The much more serious wine drinker and collector would probably appreciate this system even more so. I don't have more than a few bottles of wine in storage that I am cellaring or saving for a special occasion. But if I did, I certainly would love the opportunity to sample or enjoy them on more than just one day or occasion. That is something that is only made possible by the Coravin. In that regard, it does open up a whole new world and new way of collecting and drinking finer wines.

Impressions and Usage

With the price point being being what it is, I was expecting nothing short of very high quality materials, design and function. When it came to the original version, I cannot say that I was disappointed at all in those regards, but I do not have that same feeling about the Model Two. Of course there is also a bit of premium placed on the fact that this is a unique, one of a kind product (at least for now). The lever and moving parts all feel decently tight and function smoothly. It also looks pretty good and is intriguing enough that it is almost certain to arouse the curiosity of those who see it and are unaware of what it is (which will probably be most people).

Operation is simpler than I expected and is clearly described and illustrated in the accompanying guide. You simply "clip" the Coravin onto the neck of the wine bottle and press the extraction needle into and through the cork. Briefly depress the gas lever to pressurize the bottle a bit. Now you are ready to extract, and that is done simply by pouring the wine through the hollow needle and out of the spout. As you pour, you will periodically depress and release the argon gas lever (just briefly and in short bursts, especially when the bottle is still full) to displace the air and wine in the bottle with the gas. Whenever the wine stops flowing out, you just let a little more gas in to resume the flowing. Simple and easy. The wine flows when you release the lever, not while you are pressing it. This is counter-intuitive at first, but you quickly get the hang of it, as well as get familiar with how long to press and hold. It's always safer to press too short than too long, since you can always press it again to get more wine flowing,

The Coravin comes with the device itself, a plastic stand, two argon capsules and a wine sleeve. It is recommended out of an abundance of caution that the wine sleeve be placed on the bottle that you are tapping, just in case there is an unseen defect or crack in the bottle, in which case the pressure of the argon gas could cause it to break apart. I imagine that this is an extremely rare occurrence, and I have not used it except at first.
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>Differences between Model Two and Original (Improvements)
-The first touted advantage of the new model is a 20% FASTER RATE with it's new needle. The pour rate was never an issue for me, nor do I remember reading many complaints from others about it either (To confirm I went back and read the 87 reviews on Amazon and there were barely 3 mentions of pour speed). The point of using the Coravin is to be able to drink just a glass or two of wine rather than the whole bottle. I can't imagine why Coravin saw shaving a few seconds off of the time that it takes to pour a glass as a key endeavor, especially when faster pouring needles were and are already available for anyone who just didn't have those five seconds to spare.

-They also claim that the new needle LOCKS into place. Honestly, I can't tell much, if any difference here. The needles screw in tight enough on both units and I never experienced an issue with the needle being the least bit insecure. I'm not really sure what the point of this was or what was accomplished.

-An EASIER TO SQUEEZE PROPER FIT clamp. The spring clamp on the new model does indeed have less tension. I suppose this is great for people with arthritis or just weaker hands, but otherwise the clamp on the older model works fine and they both seem to clamp securely enough onto a bottle. The part of the new clamp that wraps around the bottle neck is plastic and can be bent by my hand, whereas the original is solid metal.

-ERGONOMICS: One change that I do like quite a lot is the NEW SHAPE of the part of the clamp where you squeeze to open it. It has sort of a wing that extends up (making a sideways L-shape) which is easier to grip and squeeze. Speaking of grip, the rubber-like grip on it is nice too. Overall, the ergonomics of Model Two is an improvement, one which I have come to appreciate even more after using it a few times (I'm certain that commercial establishments would also really like this).

>Differences between Model Two and Original (Downgrades):
-The original is constructed almost of all metal. The only part of it that I can tell to be plastic is the gas cylinder cover. This gave it a higher quality feel overall, more befitting of it's selling price. It also feels more solid. The one new design element that I like on the Model Two is the rubberized grip on the clamp.

-Aesthetically the look of the Model Two might be considered less appealing than the original. The matte black, silver and chromed looking finishes of the original wins in the looks category for me. The older model looks more elegant and high-end. This is all probably subjective, but I feel that the overall look has been cheapened versus the original, however I can see some preferring the more modern, streamlined look of the Model Two.

-Accessories did not escape the apparent cost-cutting. The heavy metal stand which solidly held the original model in place has been replaced by a flattish piece of plastic which the unit sort of leans on. The zippered neoprene bag has been replaced by a non-zippered bag which seems a lot less substantial (not a big deal for me since I don't really use it anyway).

Those are the major differences between the two models. So far, functionality between the two has been very similar outside of what has already been mentioned (Model Two having a slightly increased pour speed and being a bit easier to use). If any other functional differences arise, I will be sure to note them here.

BOTTOM LINE if choosing between the two: If you favor ergonomics and want a lighter, slightly easier to use unit (especially if you are a commercial user who will be using your device very frequently), then go with the Model Two. If you want a unit that feels very solid, is mostly made of metal and just generally looks and feels closer in value to the price of the unit, then I would recommend the original model.

Summary

Since using the Coravin, I have begun enjoying wine more, enjoying wine more often, and buying better wines. I have learned, however, to be very careful about using the Coravin on older and potentially delicate wines/corks, since there is a possibility that they will not reseal properly and become oxidized.

Overall I am happy and even amazed by the concept and use of the system, but a bit disappointed that the Model Two was apparently the victim of a cost-cutting effort in terms of material used. On the other hand however, I do appreciate the improved ergonomics of the new model, and I am sure any commercial establishment would as well.

Great product that opens your wine cellar accessibility.