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Preserving Opened Wine Techniques that prolong wine life once uncorked Many regular wine drinkers find that just part of a bottle of wine is satisfactory for a lunch or dinner occasion. Naturally, we want to keep the wine for the next day. But will the wine last this long? Can we keep it fresh, in the condition in which the winemaker intended for it to be enjoyed? When wine gets exposed to oxygen, and depending on the age of the wine, it starts to oxidize in a matter of hours. Old wines, usually more fragile, oxidize faster than young wines. Many wine lovers believe (incorrectly) that once you uncork a wine bottle there is no way back: Either you drink it entirely or use the rest for cooking -- or even pitch it. But there are ways for you to preserve the opened wine and prolong their freshness. Refrigeration Just as with leftover foods, wines kept at a cool temperature slow down spoilage-causing bacteria, chemical reactions and the oxidation process. I regularly keep my opened wine bottles in the fridge to extend wine life for two to three days, Fortunately, there are other techniques that will allow you to preserve wines for even longer periods. Decanting Decant the leftover wine from a regular bottle (750ml) by pouring it into a smaller bottle (375ml) and then re-cork . This method lessens the amount of oxygen in contact with the wine. Some people question this method. But, hey, from my personal experience, it always works and I gain a couple more days. Vacuuming This method goes a step beyond decanting towards removing all the oxygen in contact with wine. An inexpensive, specially designed rubber stopper is inserted into the neck of the bottle after a simple pump is used to extract the air. This is a most efficient technique. These devices are available in any wine store. The only drawback to this method from my experience is that it makes the wine duller and flatter. With fancy wines, I only do partial vacuuming, hoping to minimize the loss of wine intensity. This method usually can add an extra day beyond the decanting method. Nitrogen This technique is for serious wine lovers. It gets great results. A quick squirt from a cylinder of compressed nitrogen helps protect the opened wine for weeks, even months. All you need is a a nitrogen bottle that you can buy at wine shops for around $12. Insert the straw into the neck of the bottle, give it a few short bursts, then re-cork. Every modern winery uses this method to preserve its wines after fermentation. This same amazing technique is available to you. So take advantage of it. I once kept some of my favorite red wines for five months and it was still good. One exception: Sparkling wines. Since they are carbonated and already contain gas, you don’t need to add more. Just re-cork the bottle and put it in the fridge. It should continue to be good (i.e., fizzy) for up to 10 days. Waste not, want not. Cheers! |
