Üllo Wine Purifier
Getting rid of sulfites and other chemicals with advanced filtering technology
llo, a Chicago-based start-up, focuses on restoring wine to its natural statesomething they believe enhances any wine experience and ultimately makes wine safer to drink. A team of three individuals (a chemist, a wine expert and a chemical engineer) have put their many skills to the test and created a product that will revolutionize wine purifying and protect wine-drinkers from preservative chemicals, which can trigger allergic reactions among other negative effects.And now llo has launched a Kickstarter page to fund the creation and distribution of their latest product:the llo wine-purifier.
A specially designed wine-purifying product, llo fits on top of your wine glass and uses sulfite-filtering technology to remove harmful chemicals and preservatives. It even includes a helix spiral to aerate wine to your liking.The product is compact and easy to use: simply place thello on top of any container and pour the wine into the silicone cup. Watch the wine flow downward through a sulfite-filter and/or spiral for aeration until it reaches your glasssulfite- and sediment-free. Product design and brand incubation firm MINIMAL, led by award-winning designer Scott Wilson, designed the llo, the brand’s other products and invested in the project.
As I got older, I noticed thatas an asthma sufferersulfites were a problem for me as well. During my education (undergraduate and PhD) in chemistry, I started to learn more about sulfites and why theyre a necessary additive in wine. Then I learned that this is a big problem for a lot of people, and I also realized that I had the skills as an organic chemist to solve it, James Kornacki, founder and CEO of llo, tells CH.
The purifier consists of three parts: a silicone cup on top, a polymer fiber sulfite filter in the middle, and a BPA-free polymer aerator with a visually pleasing helical shape. The top and bottom parts are stain-resistant, dishwasher safe, and easy to clean. Kornacki tells CH about the design process, “We knew that the aesthetic and functional appeal was as important as the science. We didnt want to design a product that was merely functionalthat you might shove in a drawer and forget about. Rather, the focus was on creating a beautiful, intuitive and high-quality product that gives the user a sense of delight when using. This product is also versatile and fits on any glass, carafe or decanter to give you the opportunity to either shareyour wine with friends or just enjoy one glass.
“I think, too, that many consumers just want the chemicals out of their diet. We have a lot of options for eating natural foods without preservatives, and with llo we have that option for wine,” Kornacki concludes. And ultimately, that’s a value not seen in other products in the wine market.
Support llo and this wine-purifier on their Kickstarter page,where an entry-level pledge of $60 results in one llo purifier and five extra sulfite filters.
Images courtesy of llo
