'Shark Tank's Zipz Let You Bring Wine Anywhere

Let's say you're about to go on a hike, or a picnic. (I know, I know. It's not quite hike-or-picnic weather, but bear with me here.) You get dressed. You pack your gear. You think you might enjoy a glass of wine al fresco, so you head to the kitchen. You grab an ultra-breakable wine glass, a corkscrew, and a heavy bottle of wine. Suddenly, wine doesn't seem like a good idea anymore. You put it all back and grab a bottle of beer instead. If you really wanted the wine, you'd be disappointed. Zipz, featured on Shark Tank , can help. But just what are Zipz, and where can you buy them?

Zipz are individually packaged, single-serve glasses of wine. (Great! I'll take a dozen.) They come sealed and look like little sippy cups, minus the spout. In our hike-or-picnic scenario, you'd no longer need the glass (the plastic container is shaped like a wine glass), the corkscrew (they're easy to open), or the full bottle of wine (which would've been a waste if you only wanted one glass). You'd just toss one (or two, or more — I won't judge) into your bag and go.

Here's what else you need to know about Zipz.

They Come in a Bunch of Varieties

So far, Zipz are available in a 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2012 Merlot, a 2012 Chardonnay, and a 2013 Pinot Grigio. When you buy them, you can buy a single kind, a red variety pack, a white variety pack, or a mix of both.

You Can Buy It Right Now

You can buy Zipz right now from the company's website (if you live in a state where they're allowed to ship wine). The cost is $35.88 for a 12-pack — or around $3 per glass, which is pretty affordable — plus $9.99 for shipping. If you balk at the shipping cost, there are even retail locations in more than half a dozen states that stock Zipz (though the website isn't that specific about what those retail locations might be, so you have to hunt around).

If It's So Present, Why Does Zipz Need Shark Tank?

That's what I can't really figure out. Zipz seem to be everywhere — including my own kitchen.

I went to a food and wine event, and a Zipz Chardonnay was included in the goodie bag they gave out to all of the attendees. I didn't even have to pay for it. When I started to research Zipz for this article, it sounded familiar, and lo and behold I found it with the rest of the swag from that event.

So, if you can buy Zipz nearly everywhere, including online, and production is big enough to hand these things out at events, I'm not sure why Zipz would need from Shark Tank besides the publicity. It seems to be doing fine enough on its own.

Images: ZipzWine; Marisa LaScala