Daily Mail

The designer handbag with a cheeky secret ... it’s got wine on tap!

- By Inderdeep Bains

With the prospect of a hot summer ahead, what’s a girl to do when she’s out and about and fancies a refreshing tipple?

help could be at hand in the shape of this bag, which looks like an expensive designer tote – but has a secret compartmen­t which dispenses wine.

the £60 Portovino ‘wine purse’ comes with a concealed insulated pouch that can contain 1.5 litres of red or white, the equivalent of two bottles.

the wine is dispensed from a tap concealed behind a fashionabl­e flap on the outside of the bag. all you need is a cup or plastic glass.

the handbag is the brainchild of Marisa China and Gunnar hammerbeck, coowners of american company Bella vita, which designs accessorie­s and gift packaging for the wine and gourmet food industry.

Miss China, 46, said: ‘i envisioned a fashion purse that could be taken anywhere that needed to look beautiful both inside and outside – and have the added bonus of carrying two bottles of wine.

‘this is a social accessory to be shared with friends, so one bottle wasn’t enough, and boxed wine would be too large and heavy.’

People simply pour their alcohol into a spout at the top of the bag. the pouch itself is hidden by a zippered seam. But the makers say that the Portovino has the added bonus of looking like an ordinary bag, so people don’t necessaril­y have to fill it with wine.

Miss China said: ‘ Because it is so beautiful, it can be used everywhere with or without the party pouch.

‘however, with the party pouch it adds a whole new element of purpose. once the party pouch is in its zippered insulated pocket, there is still plenty of room for all of your essentials.’

the Portovino is available in red, black and blue and is accented with a gold bow and trim. it is available online and the company is working on getting distributi­on in europe.

 ??  ?? Chateau Handbag: The PortoVino in action
Chateau Handbag: The PortoVino in action
 ??  ?? Wine ‘pouch’ sits in zip-up insulated pocket
Wine ‘pouch’ sits in zip-up insulated pocket

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