This Smart Wine Dispenser Ensures You'll Get the Perfect Pour Each Time

Different types of wine are meant to be stored and served at different temperatures to fully enjoy what’s in the bottle. But unless you have a wine fridge or cellar at home, keeping your bottle at the ideal temperature in your refrigerator or on your countertop is almost impossible.

But one Kickstarter campaign is offering a solution: The Albi is a smart wine dispenser that ensures your glass is always served at the perfect temperature while helping to preserve your vino longer than when it’s just stored in the bottle.

To use the Albi—which starts at $276 on Kickstarter—simply pour your bottle into one of the smart wine bags and place it in the machine. From there, Albi recognizes the bag you’ve inserted, identifies the type of wine, and calculates the proper serving temperature, ranging from 39.2°F to 68°F. Depending on what type of wine it is, the Albi will heat or cool what’s in the bag, but you can also adjust the temperature to fit your individual preferences.

To pour a glass, you can press the button at the top of the machine, use a smart home device like Alexa, or use the Albi app to schedule a pour so your wine is ready the minute you get home from work. The app also allows you to look at potential new wines, place orders for bottles, and set parental control locks so no underage drinkers can take advantage of these perfectly poured glasses of wine.

While few things sound quite as nice as a cork popping at the end of a long day, storing wine in glass bottles has its drawbacks. Once the bottle is opened, it allows for ample amounts of oxygen to come into contact with the wine. This kicks off a process known as oxidation, which is responsible for the somewhat flat taste your wine can have once it has passed its prime drinking time.

According to the campaign, billions of dollars worth of expired wine is poured down the drain each year. However, Albi's smart bags are airtight, so your wine will be preserved for up to six months, helping you save money. And during the first shipment of the Albi, you’ll be able to purchase pre-filled smart wine bags directly from wineries.

With more than $76,000 raised so far, Albi has already surpassed its original $33,247 goal. But you can still help bring this project to life by March 5 by heading here.

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