Skip to main content

These Hotel Rooms Come with Wine Machines and We Can’t Wait to Book a Stay

wine machine
Image used with permission by copyright holder
At the end of a long day on the road — business or pleasure, it really doesn’t matter — the last thing you want to do after you’ve kicked off your shoes is put them back on to go downstairs for a nightcap. If you didn’t think to pack a bottle of something with you, then your last resort is to pick up the phone and call room service.

This is all well and good, but then you have to talk to people and you have to wait for the drink. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to get booze and not have to deal with any of that?

Recommended Videos

If you’re at the Confidante Miami Beach, there is. Plum wine machines were created by tech entrepreneur David Koretz, and allow guests to have a glass of wine by merely pressing a button, eliminating the need to talk to people and wait for your booze. Simply pick up your glass, push a button, and boom. It’s wine on demand.

The Plum Wine machine was inspired by hotel room espresso machines. In addition to pouring, the machine automatically chills the wine to the proper serving temperature for both red and white and displays tasting notes while it pours. The machine also ensures the wine won’t oxidize by using a Coravin-like needle to suck the wine out of the bottle.

Confidante Miami Beach Plum Wine Machine Options
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Currently, guests can choose from two wines. On the red side, the Plum wine machine will pour Evesham Wood Pinot Noir; for whites, the machine dispenses Josh Sauvignon Blanc.

A two-ounce tasting pour will run you $4 for the Sauvignon Blanc and $5.25 for the Pinot Noir, while a six-ounce glass will cost $12 and $16. Each pour is automatically charged to the room.

The real treat comes when staying in the hotel’s Penthouse and Miranda suites through April 2018. Not only do you get wine at the touch of a button, but you get as much wine as you want at the touch of a button for free.

Think about it. You could literally sit there, drinking glass after glass, watching the Miami sunset from your window, drunk on Pinot Noir and the energy from the beaches below.

The Confidante Miami Beach is the first Plum location in South Florida (the company currently has deals with Four Seasons, Marriott, SBE Group, Langham, Hyatt, Hilton, and Rosewood, with machines in the Four Seasons Silicon Valley and Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas), though if this machine is as magical as it sounds, it probably won’t be the last.

Until then, we’ll use our Jim Beam whiskey decanter and patiently wait for the Plum whiskey machine to join the company’s ranks.

Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
The drink of the summer: White Port & Tonic
These Portugese classic is ready for its international debut
Taylor Fladgate Chip Dry White Port & Tonic

Though winter is still in full swing, let's take some joy in looking ahead to summer -- and what we might all be drinking in a few months' time. One drink that's up on professional radars for 2025 is the White Port and Tonic, the unofficial drink of Porto and a low-abv sipper that's big on flavor and refreshingly casual.

I'm personally delighted about this development, as I spent a very happy summer in Porto a few years ago, enjoying the excellent food and drink there as well as the gorgeous ocean views. Something I appreciated about the culture there was that port was absolutely not a stuffy, elite, or terribly expensive drink. Rather it was something to casually sip after finishing a pizza, or something to share with friends sat on a wall overlooking the city. Certainly, more aged and pricey ports are available -- and are interesting to drink in their own right -- but port can also be something relaxed and informal.

Read more
Take your Margarita up a notch with beautiful garnishes, like this bar does
Visual appeal is as important as flavor in creating a great drink
The Gilded Iguana Surf Hotel Margarita

It's Margarita season, and that means you'll be seeing Margarita recipes which incorporate fruits, infused tequilas, and even alternative spirits like mezcal. But if you'd prefer to keep your Margaritas more on the classic side, then there are still changes you can make to fancy them up.

One option is to keep the changes minimal, such as switching out the usual lime juice for lemon juice. That adds a tart, sharp note to the drink, and lemon is a natural partner for tequila. You should also feel free to play with the proportions of tequila, triple sec, and citrus juice to find your own preference, as well as adding a sweetner like simple syrup if required. One thing to remember is that the freshness of your citrus will make a big difference to its flavor, so fresher citrus juice may not require any additional sweetner at all, while if you're using older lemons or limes you might need to help them out with a little additional sugar.

Read more
Pronghorn launched a bourbon matured in Madagascar vanilla extract-soaked cognac casks
Pronghorn's new bourbon is aged in a very unique barrel
Pronghorn

You've likely had your fair share of unique expressions if you're a whiskey drinker. We're talking about whiskeys elevated by maturing or finishing in unique barrels. And very few of those whiskeys are as unique as Pronghorn's newest expression.
Edmond's Honor

This whiskey was made to pay homage to the sometimes overlooked Edmond Albius, the Malagasy botanist and vanilla cultivation pioneer of the 1800s. It's an ultra-premium bourbon that's matured in vanilla extract-soaked cognac casks.

Read more