This morning we were all ready to tell you about this magical new invention we heard about that would let you easily make wine at home. Sounds sweet, right? Well, we quickly found out that this wine machine was actually a hoax and we’re one of the dummies that fell for it.
The gadget, named the “Miracle Machine,” was supposed to be a fool-proof way for wine lovers to make their own vino at home. It involved using a pre-packaged kit of ingredients to add to the machine, and then tapping into a phone app that would sync up with everything. Using electronic sensors, transducers, heaters and pumps, the Miracle Machine was creating a controlled environment for the first and second fermentation states. There was a way to measure sugar content, aerate the wine, soften the tannins, and speed up the wine’s flavor development.
The real truth? It was an elaborate hoax; a publicity stunt expertly executed by the non-profit organization, Wine to Water. Wine to Water is focused on providing clean water to people in need throughout the world. They do several different things to help these individuals, but they primarily sell wine, and then that money goes toward bringing someone clean water and saving a life. They say that each bottle sold saves a life, which is pretty cool. You can buy the wine on their website, and there’s even a Miracle Machine commemorative wine so you can remember the time you got tricked by the Internet.
We have to admit that this was a great way to call attention to an important cause, but we keep thinking about how we wish the Miracle Machine was real – and we know we’re not alone. In a press release, Wine to Water said, “In just under two weeks, the Miracle Machine went viral with over 500 million media impressions as more than 200,000 people watching the Miracle Machine video, nearly 600 media outlets around the world covered the story, 6,000 people tweeted about it, and 7,000 people signed up for a potential crowd-funding platform to invest in the faux machine.”
You know what those stats give us? Hope. They show there is an actual demand for a product like this, and we have a feeling that some ambitious, smart entrepreneur is going to find a way to really make it happen. (Seriously, will someone please make this?)