Wine-preserving eto decanter reaches Kickstarter target in 32 hours

eto decanter reaches Kickstarter target in 32 hours

The sleek-looking ‘eto’ decanter both decants and works as a wine preserver, according to its inventors, who claimed the device can keep open wine fresh for 12 days.

The word eto means ‘again’ in Welsh – a nod to designer Tom Cotton’s Welsh heritage.

The Kickstarter campaign launched at midday Tuesday 6 June and had already reached the target of £55,000 by the morning of Thursday 8 June.

‘We’ve been really pleased by the fantastic response,’ Cotton told Decanter.com. ‘Reaching our target in less than 32 hours has been incredible, and we’re really excited about getting the first etos out to our backers.’

The campaign is at almost £90,000 at the time of publishing, and does not close until 6 July.

It is expected that eto will retail at £79, but those pledging on Kickstarter can get it for £59.

How it works

The patented design creates an air-tight seal between the wine and the air by pushing down the neck, which then locks when it reaches the wine, according to eto’s designers.

This prevents oxygen interacting with the wine and influencing the flavours.

In April, a study by Laithwaite’s showed that the average UK household throws away two glasses of wine a week.

‘It was my urge to solve the problem through design, coupled with my love of wine, that first prompted me to create eto,’ Cotton told Decanter.com.

‘A friend explained that wine experts tended to preserve wine by transferring it to a smaller container to minimise the air contact, and that provided me with the initial inspiration. I wanted to give people the freedom to enjoy quality wine without being confined to 750ml, and the designer in me wanted it to look stylish too.’

The device has been independently tested against similar devices by Bangor University and outperformed its competitors.

‘After 7 days in eto there was no difference in taste to the freshly opened bottle,’ said Tom Harrow, wine director at London wine merchant Honest Grapes.

Cotton said they have also worked on the device with Richard Hemming MW and Plumpton College.

‘With regard to plans for the future, our first priority is the production of eto and were looking forward to getting feedback on how it performs with all different wine types,’ said Cotton.

‘But we do have another exciting product idea in the pipeline that’s also wine-related so watch this space.’

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