The inventors of a device that bombards wine with sound waves claim that they have discovered a means of radically improving cheap plonk.
The Sonic Decanter is said to improve any vintage in minutes, using high frequency sound waves to soften tannins and release aromas, allegedly recreating effects usually attainable only by laying down a bottle for years.
It sounds fantastic, but does it work? The Times took a prototype to the V Wine Room, a highly rated venue in West Hollywood, California.
We first tested a white, a 2012 blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc, by Trinitas Cellars, based in California’s Napa Valley. The wine retails for about $30 (£19) in the US.
The Sonic Decanter — which stands about 16in high and looks