How Clef du Vin Works

The Concept
The unique and exceptional Clef du Vin is essentially a measuring instrument that will immediately tell you if your wines are suitable for laying down, and thus revealing their ageing potential. In a controlled way, it will gradually modify the organoleptic qualities of the wine (taste, smell, flavours and bouquet). The Clef du Vin has been carefully calibrated so that one second of contact in a glass of 10 cl. (or a bottle of 75 cl. using the corresponding key) will display the potential lay down time of one year. Effective on all types of wine (red, rosé, white, dry, mellow, sweet, fortified or sparkling), the Clef du Vin is in fact an informative measuring instrument.

You will have the advantage of being able to appreciate a young wine right away that otherwise would have needed 5 to 10 years to mature.
The Clef du Vin softens the structure of the wine and speeds up the aromatic development of its flavour. One could say that the wine is opened up with the key.

- Red wines will see their tannins becoming softer, and their elegance being expressed.
- The acidity of dry white wines will be reduced, revealing the subtle flavours of the fruit.
- With sweet white wines, expect an explosion of flavours in your mouth!

We are talking about a tool, which will help you buy your wine, manage your cellar and help you with your wine tasting. The Clef du Vin does not age the wine!

The Science behind the concept
The Clef du Vin is an alloy made up of many different metals, which have been prepared and produced using a special technique. It is the outcome of scientific study combined with accepted traditions and methods in the wine industry.

The Clef du Vin was invented over 10 years ago by Laurent Zanon, chemist and oenologist, chemistry and biology teacher, in collaboration with a sommelier, Franck Thomas, Best Craftsman of France, Best Sommelier of France and Europe (year 2000) and French candidate for the next world championships in Greece (which takes place every 4 years). As a winemaker, Laurent Zanon needed an instrument to help him decide when is the right moment to do whatever he needs to do during the wine making process.

The wine will be oxidising during its evolution, and some do it faster than others. Moreover this phenomenon is increased after the bottle has been opened. This will considerably change the wine’s quality for better or for worse.
By using the Clef du Vin you will be able to accelerate maturing in order to work out the laying down potential, knowing that one second of contact is equivalent to one year of ageing (of oxidation-reduction).

Of course, the Clef du Vin has not invented reduction by oxidation! Mankind have known about this natural process for over 2000 years. But on the other hand, the team of Clef du Vin have mastered how to measure it, gauge it and reproduce it in a controlled and regulated way.

In order to bring out the ageing potential of a wine, the Clef du Vin gradually modifies amongst other things the balance in oxidation-reduction up to its destruction (taste). Each second of contact in a 10 cl glass (or 75 cl bottle with the corresponding wine key model) will advance the wine one year on its oxidation-reduction curve (life), showing its laying down potential or ageing potential.