Coravin steps up expansion plans

Coravin has brought in former Nespresso executive Frédéric Levy as CEO to help the wine access tool expand its footprint further across Europe and Asia.

Since its launch in 2013, Coravin has sold 70,000 devices, which use a thin needle and inert gas to extract a wine sample without needing to uncork the bottle. Having arrived in the UK last year, many restaurateurs and merchants, including D&D London, Le Gavroche and Lea & Sandeman, have embraced the opportunity this technology offers to serve accessibly priced fine wines by the glass without risk of wastage.

According to its owner, Coravin is now available to private customers in more than 500 wine shops around the world, having expanded its scope dramatically with the opening of a European headquarters in Amsterdam.

In October the company added an online outlet following a period of exclusivity at luxury retailer Harrod’s, whose wine buyer Edward Gerard reported that Coravin “has consistently been the top selling article in the wine rooms at Harrods and has exceeded our expectations.”

After a temporary setback when safety concerns emerged, were investigated and addressed, the end of last year saw the company step into Asia for the first time with a Hong Kong launch.

Coravin confirmed that its focus for the first few months of 2015 would be to expand its Asian business, primarily through Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as launching the product in Ireland, Austria and the Netherlands.

Describing Levy as “the natural choice to take Coravin forward,” the device’s inventor and founder Greg Lambrecht commented: “He is an incredibly successful business leader who carries not only the marketing and management experience, but also the passion and drive needed to further cement Coravin’s position as a world-class innovator. He will be instrumental in furthering our mission to make it easier than ever for wine lovers to access, taste and enjoy their favorite bottles of wine by the glass.”