Update – after finishing a successful Kickstarter campaign, Encork can now be found on their website.
If you’ve ever tried to save an open bottle of wine for later, you’ll know what inevitably happens next… bitter disappointment. Wine is just one of those things that’s next to impossible to enjoy a few days after it’s open.
As soon as the cork pops out of the bottle wine begins an epic battle with the air itself. Oxygen permeates the liquid and feeds naturally present bacteria, which then begin to output their own “funk”. This causes the wine to pick up flavors anywhere between wet cardboard to vinegar as the entire bottle oxidizes.
Such a waste.😔
But maybe it doesn’t have to be this way…
Encork is a revolutionary bottle stopper that promises to make any bottle of wine as resealable as a Ziploc. Just pop it in an open bottle and the little device magically absorbs all the oxygen – no pumping or suction required.
How the Encork keeps wine fresh
It may look like just a small, rubberized bottle stopper on the outside, but there’s more going on than meets the eye. When it’s time to reseal your wine you tear off a cap at the bottom of the Encork which exposes a puck of a highly oxidative natural compound.
While their campaign doesn’t reveal explicit details, this compound is “a proprietary mixture of earthen materials that have been used in the food preservation industry for decades”.
Up to 99.9% of the oxygen molecules in the bottle are absorbed into the compound, leaving the wine perfectly preserved.
Encorks are sold in sets of 12 with each stopper able to absorb one 750ml bottle’s worth of oxygen before becoming depleted. The campaign states that when you remove an Encork, you’ll hear a negative pressure “pop” just like opening a new bottle.
“We designed Encork to improve the wine experience by making it affordable to open a bottle whenever inspiration strikes and save it without wasting a drop,”
Encork co-founder Tyler Rice
When compared to the alternatives, Encork removes 20% more oxygen than vacuum stoppers, and is cheaper and simpler than gas flushing. They’re also small enough to stow to a restaurant and bring back any unfinished bottles for an “encore” later.
Where to buy Encork bottle stoppers
You can currently pre-order a box of 12 Encorks for $25 from their Kickstarter page below. Higher pledge levels get you bigger quantities plus other perks like aerators and tote bags. The campaign has already reached nearly 200% of their funding goal with 24 days to go.
Orders are estimated to deliver January 2022.
