Amsterdam’s Restaurant Flore, a two-star Michelin jewel in the heart of the city, recently set the stage for a special moment in the evolution of wine culture. Within its intimate dining room, Chef Bas van Kranen and Wine Director Antonello Nicastri welcomed guests for a press lunch that was more than just a showcase of fine cuisine — it was the unveiling of a new chapter for Coravin, the company that has revolutionized the way we experience wine.
For us at Dutch Wine Apprentice, this was also an important gathering. Coravin is more than a brand we admire; it is a partner whose mission aligns with ours: to explore, celebrate, and share the stories of wine with the world.
At the heart of the day was Greg Lambrecht, Coravin’s founder, whose personal journey is inseparable from the invention itself. Trained in medical technology, he was surrounded by needles and precision instruments in his daily work. But at home, he faced the same dilemma every wine lover knows: the desire to explore without the pressure of finishing a bottle.
“I wanted freedom,” Greg explained during the lunch. “The freedom to open a bottle without opening it, to taste without risk, and to keep exploring.”
His earliest prototypes were built in his garage from surgical needles and clamps, but their effect was groundbreaking: for the first time, wine could be poured while the cork remained intact. Collectors could finally sample treasures without fearing waste. Sommeliers could expand their by-the-glass offerings. Winemakers could showcase their wines at tastings without depleting precious bottles.
Over the years, Greg’s invention opened doors to some of the world’s most prestigious wineries — but not without initial skepticism. He recounted walking into cellars in Burgundy, Napa, and Bordeaux with what seemed like a magician’s trick.
“One winemaker told me flat out: ‘You can’t do this — it’s impossible,’” Greg laughed. “So, I pulled a glass from a bottle, recorked it, and asked him to open it months later. When he tasted it and saw it was unchanged, his skepticism turned into belief.”
Another memorable encounter was with a famed collector, who admitted he had cases of wine he never dared to open. “For him, Coravin was liberation,” Greg said. “He could finally experience the wines he had been saving for decades — one glass at a time.”
These stories reveal the human side of Coravin’s journey: not just a tool, but a bridge between curiosity and confidence, between preservation and pleasure.
One of Greg’s most personal stories takes us back to the 1980s, when he first tasted a Hermitage so profound it left an indelible mark. “The flavors were the most beautiful and complex I had ever known,” he recalled. “But the bottle had been hidden away for years, deemed too good to open. That moment taught me something: wine is meant to be enjoyed, not imprisoned.”
To honor that memory, Coravin has released the Timeless Six+ in Hermitage Red, a limited-edition holiday release. Its deep, rich color is a tribute to the Rhône appellation and to Greg’s own inspiration. Available in the Netherlands from November 1st, the edition will launch at a special price of €259.99 — a collector’s piece that symbolizes both elegance and freedom.
But the highlight of the day was not just about looking back — it was about looking forward. On September 30th, 2025, Coravin will launch The Coravin Guide, the world’s first digital platform dedicated entirely to wine-by-the-glass programs.
Designed as a global map of discovery, the Guide will spotlight restaurants, bars, and hotels with outstanding by-the-glass selections in cities like London, Sydney, Milan, Melbourne, and The Netherlands, with more to follow. Searchable by region, occasion, or even wine style, the Guide promises to empower wine lovers to explore with confidence — whether at home or abroad.
The Guide is structured around tiering levels, highlighting the breadth and ambition of each venue’s wine program:
Alongside these tiers, the Guide will feature a special section: Greg’s Hidden Gems. These are small but inspirational wine-by-the-glass finds — venues that may not boast hundreds of options but embody the spirit of discovery, hospitality, and excellence that Coravin champions.
As Greg summarized:
“Wine by the glass should be about discovery, not limitation. The Guide is about freedom — to taste more, to explore more, and to find wines that inspire us without hesitation.”
It was no coincidence that Coravin chose Flore for this announcement. The restaurant is now the first Dutch entry in The Coravin Guide, a recognition of its visionary approach to gastronomy and wine service. Under Nicastri’s guidance, Flore’s wine program exemplifies the very best of what by-the-glass can mean: depth, surprise, and an open invitation to discovery.
The lunch menu reflected this philosophy beautifully. It began with a plate of vegetables, composed with the precision and delicacy that characterizes Chef Bas van Kranen’s style. Paired with Domínio do Açor, Vinha Celta 2022, the wine’s clarity and minerality elevated the earthy and herbal tones of the dish, offering a lively dialogue between texture and freshness. We award it with 94/100 points.
From the land we moved to the sea, with a dish of cuttlefish, coastal crab, whelk, and rose. Here the interplay of sweetness from the shellfish and the floral nuance of rose met the saline backbone of the Maugeri, Contrada Volpare Etna Rosato 2020. The volcanic freshness and crisp acidity of the wine cut through the richness of the seafood while its gentle fruitiness mirrored the aromatic lift of the plate. A refined and balanced pairing, scoring 92/100 points.
The third course, a creation of Leek, ramson, shiitake, and enoki, showcased the chef’s ability to build depth through vegetables alone. It was matched with one of the wine highlights of the afternoon, Peter Lauer’s 1992 Réserve Brut, a sparkling Riesling with more than three decades of age. Still vibrant and tense, the wine’s mature autolytic character echoed the umami-driven notes of the mushrooms, while its acidity lifted the dish to a higher plane. A pairing that spoke to both surprise and harmony, which we rated at 94/100 points.
The centerpiece of the afternoon was the Arctic Char with rosehip nduja and tomato, a dish that carried both elegance and power. To accompany it, Nicastri poured E. Guigal, Hermitage 1995, a wine that not only harmonized beautifully with the smoky spice of the nduja and the delicacy of the fish, but also tied directly into Greg Lambrecht’s personal story of inspiration. This glass of Hermitage was a reminder of the moment that set him on his journey — proof that a single wine can shape a lifetime. The wine itself, mature and deeply expressive, received 94/100 points.
To close, Flore presented a playful dessert simply titled “No chocolate”, built around black currant and fruit mole. Unexpected yet captivating, it found its partner in the Tissot, Macvin Pinot Noir 2018, a fortified Jura wine with sweetness, spice, and structure in equal measure. The pairing struck a chord of both contrast and complement, providing a surprising and memorable finale, which we rated at 94/100 points.
Together, these dishes and wines told a story of exploration — a narrative made possible by the flexibility that Coravin brings to the table. Rare bottles, aged treasures, and daring pairings could be poured with confidence, giving guests a tasting journey that truly reflected the spirit of discovery.
Reflecting on his approach to by-the-glass service, Antonello Nicastri shared his philosophy:
“Every new glass of wine is a chance to discover one more story in your life. Wine is not just a drink – it’s emotion, it’s community, it’s something you share with friends. At Flore, I’ve created a list of around 50 wines by the glass, so our guests can enjoy both the world’s greatest labels and hidden treasures from less-known countries. And why not add a few mystery wines, too? They invite people to think, to analyze, and to truly engage with what’s in their glass.”
This philosophy resonates deeply with Coravin’s vision and with the launch of the Guide itself: wine by the glass not as a compromise, but as a gateway to exploration, emotion, and connection.
For Dutch Wine Apprentice, Coravin is more than a brand — it is a partner in the belief that wine should be experienced, shared, and celebrated. Together, we aim to give wine lovers the tools and stories to go deeper, to taste more widely, and to approach each glass with curiosity rather than caution.
As the lunch at Flore came to a close, it was clear that Coravin has evolved far beyond its pioneering technology. With the Hermitage Red Timeless Six+, the company honors its origins. With The Coravin Guide, it opens a new era — one where wine is no longer bound by bottles, but set free one glass at a time.
And at Dutch Wine Apprentice, we’re proud to be part of that journey.
This article is written by our own Niels Aarts. We thank Coravin, in particular Greg Lambrecht and Lambert Manden, for their invitation and the team of Flore for their hospitality and the excellent lunch.
The Coravin Guide is now live on: https://guide.coravin.com and will be updated regularly.
The special edition holiday edition, Hermitage Red, will be available soon through Coravin’s webshop and selected partners.
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