What exactly is a colmatore, and why does this curious little glass device still appear in traditional Italian wine cellars? It helps keep ageing wine topped up and protected from too much air — a beautifully simple solution to an age-old problem. And then there’s the story you’ll hear all over Tuscany: Leonardo da Vinci invented it. A wonderful legend, certainly. But is there actually any evidence? Let’s look at the colmatore, how it works, and whether Leonardo really had an