Magic Decanater
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TwigtheWonderkid

Original Poster:

48,941 posts

179 months

Sunday 14th July 2013
quotequote all
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Decanter-Aerator-Fil...

Just a heads up to say I bought one of these recently, £11.50 from Amazon, and it's fantastic. Turns cheap red wine into half decent red wine. I haven't tried it on a half decent red yet, but suspect it would still improve it. Very simple but beautifully made, it's an acrylic funnel with a couple of venturi tubes (for those of you who are old enough to have stripped a carburettor) that suck the air into the wine as it flows thru.

Very impressed.

(I do not work for the company who makes them and have nothing to gain from recommending it!!)

Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Sunday 14th July 16:29

Mobile Chicane

21,977 posts

241 months

Sunday 14th July 2013
quotequote all
I'm guessing Vinturi's patent has either expired or is being circumvented somehow.

But yes, that is a great gadget. The difference it makes to a cheap red is surprising.

TwigtheWonderkid

Original Poster:

48,941 posts

179 months

Sunday 14th July 2013
quotequote all
I doubt it was ever patented. It's an effect, named after the physicist who discovered it. He died about 200 yrs ago. To patent it would be like trying to patent gravity. It's just a natural thing, the bloke who discovered it didn't invent it.

I think.

LooneyTunes

9,348 posts

187 months

Sunday 14th July 2013
quotequote all
... but
the product description said:
Magic Decanter draws in and mixes the proper amount of air for the right amount of time, allowing your wine to breathe instantly
(emphasis added)

I'm not against aggressive decanting, where appropriate, but that device has no way of knowing how much air a wine is going to need (and the idea that all wines would need the same length of time would be open to some debate!).

That isn't to say that it might not offer some improvement, but excessively bullish marketing always puts me off trying a product.

Magic919

14,442 posts

230 months

Sunday 14th July 2013
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
I doubt it was ever patented. It's an effect, named after the physicist who discovered it. He died about 200 yrs ago. To patent it would be like trying to patent gravity. It's just a natural thing, the bloke who discovered it didn't invent it.

I think.
The Vinturi device carries a patent. The knock off version here avoids the patent by not being of the same design.

TwigtheWonderkid

Original Poster:

48,941 posts

179 months

Sunday 14th July 2013
quotequote all
A guy at work bought one, loved it, so a few of us expressed an interest so he ordered them. Not sure which seller but it was £11.50 each inc postage so probably that one.

TwigtheWonderkid

Original Poster:

48,941 posts

179 months

Sunday 14th July 2013
quotequote all
Magic919 said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
I doubt it was ever patented. It's an effect, named after the physicist who discovered it. He died about 200 yrs ago. To patent it would be like trying to patent gravity. It's just a natural thing, the bloke who discovered it didn't invent it.

I think.
The Vinturi device carries a patent. The knock off version here avoids the patent by not being of the same design.
I'll take your word for it. Seems odd that you can patent a natural phenomena but I'm no expert.

whoami

13,200 posts

269 months

Sunday 14th July 2013
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
I'll take your word for it. Seems odd that you can patent a natural phenomena but I'm no expert.
According to Vinturi, it has two patents.

Why do you think that it's the "natural phenomena" that holds the patent(s)?

It could be anything.

TwigtheWonderkid

Original Poster:

48,941 posts

179 months

Sunday 14th July 2013
quotequote all
It appears Vinturi is the name they give the design of using the Venturi effect in a wine aerator. I guess vin meaning wine, it's meant to be a gag?? That's the patent.

But the Venturi effect, which is what they use, is used in loads of carburettors, to suck the fuel in. In the case of the wine gadget, it's sucking in air.

You can have a patent of the design of a wine aerator, but the actual Venturi effect can't be the subject of a patent, it's like trying to patent gravity. I would think.