Have you ever wished you had a proper wine glass when you were away from home? Copain de Vin is an innovative product, a portable wine glass, designed to revolutionize how wine enthusiasts enjoy their favourite drink outdoors. Developed with the renowned three-time Vinologist of the Year, Alessandro Matrone, Copain de Vin asserts you will enjoy an authentic and enhanced wine-tasting experience anywhere. I received one of these glasses to review for you. According to Copain de Vin, “Our high-quality crystal wine glass with a specially engineered protective case allows wine lovers to savour the full flavour and aroma of their wine without the risks of traditional glasses or plastic cups. Perfect for picnics, beach outings, camping trips, boat trips, and more.”
BTW, Copain de Vin is a French term that translates to “wine for casual drinking” or “wine for friends.”
Here are some key features of the glass:
- Real Glass, Not Plastic
- Durable and Portable
- Eco-Friendly
- Expertly Designed with Alessandro Matrone
The company is currently gearing up for the launch of their Kickstarter campaign. So the glasses are not yet available for sale, but you can be one of the people helping to launch these glasses into production.
Initial Observations
The metal case with rubber lining is quite substantial and heavy. To open the case, you twist and pull up on the top half of the case. The wine glass itself is feather-light. The glass is quite thin, which is both impressive and a bit scary. I compared it to some Riedel Vinum series glasses and this wine glass is much thinner. I think the tulip-shaped bowl is shaped to work well with fuller-bodied white wines, like an oaked Chardonnay or Viognier, or a medium to fuller-bodied red wine, like a Bordeaux blend, GSM, or Gamay. A Pinot Noir would work, but you need a wider bowl to get the full effect of swirling the wine. The bowl is a little too wide for aromatic white wines like Sauvignon Blanc as the aromas are dispersed too widely. Aromatic whites do best with smaller bowls to concentrate the aromas. I also would not recommend sparkling wines for the same reason. I think Rosé wines would present their aromas and flavours well in this glass. It is time to test my theories and see how this wine glass performs with different wines.
Wine Tasting Observations
I tasted a few red and white wines using this glass and a standard-shaped glass meant for that wine. Here are my observations.
Blue Mountain Vineyards and Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (BC $25.90)
Standard glass tasting notes: A wine with a medium-minus intensity lemon colour. It has light aromas, mixing stone fruits, green fruits and herbaceousness. It is dry, medium-minus body but with a thicker mouthfeel. Medium-intensity flavours, primarily of stone fruits, with touches of honey, citrus rind, stoniness, pepperiness and grape stem bitterness. Medium-plus length.
Copain de Vin tasting notes: The wine had lighter-intensity herbaceous, stone fruit, and honey aromas. It had a dry, thicker mouthfeel with light acidic prickle on your tongue. Stone fruit flavours, and lighter stoniness on the palate. Medium length.
Both tasting notes have many similarities, but I’m getting a wider variety of aromas and flavours with the standard glass.
Tenuta Sant’ Antonio TELOS / Il Rosso Valpolicella Superiore 2014
I had not planned on opening this 10-year-old wine, but I had an opportunity to share it with friends. I was a little surprised that this wine was quite along in the aging process and maybe was already 1-2 years past peak. I checked online and read that Valpolicella Superiore wines are known for their rich and robust character, and generally have a good aging potential. Typically, these wines are best enjoyed 5 to 10 years after the vintage date.
Standard glass tasting notes: A dull, deep brown colour in the glass. Medium-intensity aged aromas of leather, ripe plums, dried dark fruits and sweet spices. Dry with a lighter mouthfeel. Lightly round on the palate. Flavours of leather, coffee, sweet and dried black fruits. A touch of pepperiness and some bitterness toward the finish. Medium-plus length with some bitterness and spiciness.
Copain de Vin tasting notes: Medium-minus intensity aromas of dried fruits and sweet spices. Medium-plus body with flavours of dried fruits, figs, and sweet spices. Medium intensity tannins. Medium-plus length with light tart and bitter flavours.
The aromas the flavours I noted are similar for both tastings. The bigger difference is that the Copain de Vin glass had me identify the body as medium-plus while the standard glass, I noted a lighter mouthfeel.
Hester Creek Grenache Syrah Mourvedre 2022
Standard glass tasting notes: A GSM blend that has inviting aromas of juicy bramble berries, ripe plums, sweet spices and light toastiness. It is dry with a lighter body, soft and round mouthfeel. Raspberries, juicy berries, plums, black pepper and hints of nutmeg, chocolate, floral, and red cherries on the palate. Meatiness with air. Lots of flavours to enjoy. Medium acidity and lighter tannins. Medium-plus length.
Copain de Vin tasting notes: Medium intensity aromas of red fruit, raspberries, and meatiness. Dry, medium-plus body. Medium acidity and light tannins. Juicy berries, raspberries and meatiness on the palate. Round and soft mouthfeel. Medium-length finishes with mouth-watering acidity, light tannins, and juicy berry flavours.
Again with this red wine, the Copain de Vin glass had me note the wine was fuller bodied than with the standard glass. Both wines had similar aromas and flavours.
Mayhem Wines Rosé 2023
Standard glass tasting notes: A clear lighter watermelon colour. Medium intensity, lively aromas of red fruits, strawberries and herbaceousness. Dry, medium-plus body, round but with a strong acidic backbone. Fresh tart red fruit and herbaceousness. Strawberries and rhubarb with swirling. Some stony minerality. Medium-plus length with lingering tart red fruit and herbaceousness. Puckering acidity and light tannins on the finish.
Copain de Vin tasting notes: Medium intensity fresh tart red fruit and pine needle aromas. Dry, medium-plus body with a lightly round mouthfeel. Tart red fruit and some grape stem. Medium tannins and medium-plus acidity. Medium length with tart red fruit on the finish.
These two tasting notes show some differences in the flavours. With the standard glass, I noted rhubarb and stony minerality, which I did not get with the Copain de Vin glass. But the red fruits, herbaceous on the nose matched and the tartness on the palate.
Overall, I would say that there are many commonalities between the different glasses I used to taste these wines, with the main differences being in identifying the weight of the wine. So, assuming you are outside on a patio or at the beach or lake sipping a glass of wine, I’m sure you won’t notice. If you travel, I’d say that this glass would be a great choice to take with you.
Where Can I Buy This Wine Glass?
I am not sure when the Copain de Vin website will be live and ready for orders, but here is the web URL. Here is their Kickstarter web page.