Medtech engineer and founder of Intrinsic Therapeutics George Lambrecht has formed Coravin, a high-tech wine company that produces a device for tapping wine bottles without removing the cork.
Initially launched in 2013, the Coravin system penetrates the wine cork with a needle, injects argon gas into the bottle and allows wine to be poured without removing the cork, according to the company’s website.
Lambrecht is joined at Coravin by medical device incubator Exploramed’s founder and CEO, Dr. Josh Makower, and former Keurig CEO Nick Lazaris, according to the Coravin website.
Coravin was named a finalist in the 2015 American Business awards for consumer product start-up of the year, the company said.
"When the Coravin System launched, my goal was to transform the way people enjoy wine, both in their own homes and in restaurants. After nearly 2 years, I believe we can now say that we have made significant strides in achieving this goal, and I owe our continued success to the great team at Coravin," Lambrecht said in a press release.
In 2000, Lambrecht formed Intrinsic Therapeutics, which makes the Barricaid, an adjunct for lumbar limited discectomy to replace missing or damaged parts of the anulus to prevent re-herniation, disc collapse, the return of sciatica and potentially to help stave off low back pain.
Another medical device luminary, stent pioneer Dr. Julio Palmaz, also got into the oenophile game when he founded Palmaz Vineyards, which boasts the largest underground winemaking facility in the U.S.