“Are you aware that good wine is more enjoyable when served at a temperature that brings out its real true and unique flavor?”

The publicist promoting the Ravi Instant Wine Refresher posed that query to me when asking whether I’d like to sample the new instant wine chiller.  Sure, I thought, always looking for potential items to feature as a bite.

I did know that temperature can bring out the best or the worst in glass of wine. I had experienced the “worst” at The Bedford Post Farmhouse when my waitress V served warm white wine. The alcohol tends to predominate in warm wine, not the flavor. But the publicist didn’t want me to try the Ravi on white wine, she wanted me to do so on red.

Instead of cooling the entire bottle, the Ravi cools the wine itself as you pour. To use, first  freeze one piece of the Ravi for at least 5 hours and store that piece in the freezer after each use. When ready, you attach the base (if you can recall where you kept that part), place it in the wine bottle’s neck and pour carefully.  I say carefully as you need to place your thumb over an air inlet and tilt the bottle to a 45-degree angle before removing your finger and pouring. The wine drizzles through the contraption and (most times) into your glass at the right drinking temperature.

When it worked, I found my red wine at the perfect drinking temperature — not too warm, not too cold — but just right.   When it didn’t, I was glad I hadn’t used a white tablecloth — as the wine dripped out of the top of the wine bottle, not through the pouring spout even after I tried to tighten the piece in the neck.

I found this fun to try, but it’s not a gadget I’d highly recommend. If though you still want to try it, Ravi is available at WineSpectator.com, select Beverages & More locations and some wine and gourmet shops for $39.95.