The Stories Behind Preservio

Nicola’s Story: A Founder’s Journey from Frustration to Innovation

Nicola has always had a love for wine. She had fond memories of enjoying a glass or two of wine with friends during late-night study sessions and at every milestone celebration. Wine was a constant companion through it all. But there was always one sour note.

No matter how carefully she recorked a bottle, the wine never tasted quite the same the next day. By morning, that once-vibrant Merlot was flat, oxidized, and undrinkable. Every unfinished bottle felt like a little heartbreak and a hit to the wallet. For a student and then a young professional, it was frustrating to pour good wine (and money) down the drain.

Determined to find a better solution, Nicola tried every wine-preserving trick and product she could find. Manual pumps. High-tech gadgets with steep price tags. But nothing delivered the ease, reliability, or sustainability that she was looking for.

While studying at Yale, Nicola dove deeper into the wine industry. The numbers were staggering – billions of dollars of wine were wasted every year in the U.S. alone, not just in households, but in restaurants and bars too. As someone passionate about sustainability and food systems, she saw a clear opportunity and a personal calling.

She discovered that the existing market was split. On one side was a high-end device that relied on costly gas capsules and needles, making it impractical for the average wine lover. On the other side were cheaper manual pumps that often failed to truly preserve flavor, leaving consumers right back where they started.

That’s when inspiration struck.

With her background in Mechanical Engineering and a knack for solving everyday problems, Nicola began sketching out ideas. What if preservation could be automatic? What if it could be affordable while being effective? She envisioned a smart vacuum that would remove the guesswork, one that would suck out oxygen, seal the bottle at the optimal pressure, and do it all with the push of a button.

Today, Nicola is proud to introduce Preservio, the ultimate vacuum wine preserver designed for the everyday enthusiast and seasoned sommelier alike. No more waste. No more guesswork. Just wine as it was meant to be enjoyed.

Preservio isn’t just a product, it’s a movement. Nicola and her team invite you to join them in raising a glass to sustainability, to savoring every drop, and to never letting another bottle of wine go to waste.

Drew’s Story: Journey to Preservio

For Drew, the spark began in the back kitchen of Agnello’s, a small but bustling Italian restaurant in New Jersey where he worked part-time during the summer before his Junior year in college at Yale University. He loved the rhythm of the dinner rush and the craft behind each dish. But there was one part of the job he never got used to: throwing away good food and drink at the end of the night.

Day after day, it felt wasteful. Not just economically, but environmentally. Perfectly good meals tossed away because they couldn’t be served the next day. It left an impression on Drew, one that lingered as he headed back to Yale University.

At Yale, Drew dove headfirst into a wide range of interests. He was fascinated by how businesses could be built not just for profit, but for purpose. And that fascination found a real-world application at a student entrepreneurs' event where he met Nicola.

Her pitch was simple but compelling: a wine preservation system that could eliminate waste, preserve flavor, and make sustainability second nature for wine lovers everywhere. For Drew, it was a full-circle moment, blending his passion for food and beverage with his growing expertise in business, design, and consumer behavior.

He joined the Preservio team not just as a co-founder, but as a multi-hyphenate force: leading product design and customer research, optimizing the digital experience, refining the business model, and driving early sales and finance strategy. Where some saw a niche product, Drew saw the beginning of a new kind of company, one that respected the craft of wine and the values of a new generation of consumers.

Today, Drew is proud to help bring Preservio to life, not just as a beautifully designed wine preservation tool, but as a symbol of smarter, more sustainable living. He's stayed true to the mission, helping people savor more, waste less, and raise their standards for what thoughtful design can do.