Peugeot Clef du Vin "Travel" Wine Tool: Scam?

[Robin Garr]

A friend who works at a kitchen toys, er, tools shop asked me about the Peugeot Clef du Vin "Travel" Wine Tool, a device containing a small piece of unidentified "alloy" that allegedly ages wine in the glass, one year for every second of immersion.

This sounds to me like an absolute scam, on par with that round "crystal" wine base I reviewed once and made its manufacturer threaten to sue me. (He never followed through). It has remarkably strong Amazon reviews, which makes me think the placebo effect is alive and well.

Aside from recriminations based on no actual experience, though, have any of you ever seen and tried this thing? My friend is offering to lend it to me for blind tasting, but I'm also curious about others' experience.

Here's a link to the product on Amazon.com:
Peugeot Clef du Vin "Travel" Wine Tool

I remember this device being discussed quite a bit on forums some years ago, as I recall those the knowledge dismissed any so-called science behind it, and its own claims were not substantiated..

However it has been very succesfull in separating the gullible from their cash.

[Robin Garr]

I remember that about the wine crystals, Peter. I think this device, which makes a somewhat different but equally dubious-sounding claim, may be newer. I think it's bound to be a scam, but I'd still love to hear testimony from a competent wine geek who's actually tried one, though.

Here's our take from 2006
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3956

AndGary Vaynerchuck tested it in 2007 on a 2003 Ch Montelena red and a Beringer white Zinfandel.

He said it changed the taste of the red but didn't think it showed how the wine would taste in xx years (which is the purpose of the Clef), and after using the Clef to see what 50 years would do to the white Zin, gave a 'big pass' on the device

see http://tv.winelibrary.com/2007/07/12/cl ... isode-274/
from 17 minutes in

Clef du Vin has been around a while, but not that design and not with the Peugeot name attached. The blob of alloy at the end looks the same though.

I would guess that, at best, the "patented metal alloy" acts like a copper coin, and potentially removes some reductive odours.

I'm disappointed that a serious car manufacturer like Peugeot should be lending its name to a device like this. Scam (= arnaque in French) is the word which seems appropriate. It makes me ask questions about their cars; I have two of them!

[Robin Garr]

I'm disappointed that a serious car manufacturer like Peugeot should be lending its name to a device like this. Scam (= arnaque in French) is the word which seems appropriate. It makes me ask questions about their cars; I have two of them!

I understand it to be a completely different Peugeot - probably the one that makes pepper grinders, not voitures.

I'm disappointed that a serious car manufacturer like Peugeot should be lending its name to a device like this. Scam (= arnaque in French) is the word which seems appropriate. It makes me ask questions about their cars; I have two of them!

I understand it to be a completely different Peugeot - probably the one that makes pepper grinders, not voitures.

Same company. And the pepper mill came first. Similar concept (engineering).

You can read lots about it on the internet.

I agree with Steve, it may alter the taste and aroma of the wine. But than again the action of pouring
4 to 6 ounces of wine out of a bottle, swirling it once or twice and sipping it during your meal you are
(with that occasional swirl) "accelerating" the wines evolution (now in a glass). Accelating a wines evolution
by no means IMHO mimicing gracifully aging an ageworthy wine in a cool cellar at its own pace.

Salute