There’s an interesting article in the Globe and Mail about the wine dispensing system, Enomatic, which is gaining popularity in North American restaurants and bars. Here’s how it works: Bottles of wine are lined inside a high-tech vending machine that dispenses one-, two- or five-ounce pours. Immediately after the wine comes out, the system automatically injects an oxygen-buffering layer of argon or nitrogen into the top of the bottle, which Enomatic says will keep the wine fresh for more than three weeks.

Invented by two Italians in 2002, there are now 5,000 Enomatic machines around the world, and if you can find one at a wine bar in your area, give it a shot (or maybe several shots?). If you’re on a budget, or just want to try several different wines, these machines will save you from usual vinegary, oxidized wine-by-the-glass offerings at bars and restaurants. An Italian café/restaurant near my office, Mercatto, installed the sleek-looking Enomatic recently and I’ve been taking advantage of it to taste some more expensive vintages. In fact, the glass in my blog photo is an excellent Vino Nobile di Montepulciano poured from Mercatto’s Enomatic. Instead of paying $100 for the bottle, I enjoyed a glass of it – with all its delicate flavours intact – for $16. Cheers to that.