The red wine stain was an accident. I heard myself crying out “Nooooo!” as the cabernet sauvignon splashed from my glass onto the white couch, seemingly in slo-mo.

At first I chided myself for my klutziness — and the inanity of owning a white sofa — but then I laughed at the irony of the situation: I'd bought this red wine with the express purpose of spilling a little onto a fabric scrap to test the removal powers of Chateau Spill, a product specially formulated to get rid of red wine stains. If my experiment worked, I planned to write an article about it. But before beginning this very important consumer testing for the noble cause of journalism, I poured a tall glass of red to enjoy.

Cue: Unplanned spill. All at once, this was not a test!

Fortunately for my couch and me, Chateau Spill, which comes in a chic little wine-reminiscent bottle ($8.99 for four ounces), worked beautifully. I blotted the stain to remove excess liquid, dampened the area with cold water and then applied Chateau Spill directly. (The instructions recommend using a moist sponge or washcloth to apply the product to carpet/upholstery stains, but I was frantic.) After a minute or so, I wiped away the soapy residue, then repeated the procedure — et voila! The cabernet catastrophe was over.

Why does one need a red wine-specific stain remover? Because they're among the most unforgiving of household stains (not to mention a huge party foul). Chateau Spill is derived from the same formula used by lab workers to remove stains from their hands after working with microscopic slides. It bears, according to the product website, “a very different chemistry from aggressive bleaches or harsh oxidizing chlorines.” It's also specifically tweaked for stain-causing tannins on clothing, carpet, linens … or, as I found out, red, red wine on a white, white sofa.

To order, visit www.chateauspill.com.

Laura Pearson is a freelance writer.