Wine is drunk on many formal and informal occasions, and often the bottles may be left unfinished at the end of the function. What do you do with these partial bottles, especially if they are good quality wines? Whatever you do, don’t throw them away, seal them so they can be enjoyed again in a day or two.
Many people don’t even entertain the idea of keeping an open bottle of wine, but if you’re left with a half-used bottle, for God’s sake save it for another day. If you simply replace the cork or other closure without extracting the air, you are trapping oxygen on the surface of the wine, which will lead to oxidation in a very short time.
Is all this a bit exaggerated?
Well, certainly not if it’s higher quality and more expensive wines or if you live alone and can’t finish a bottle yourself, save it to enjoy another day. Why waste something that has been crafted and nurtured for so long? As a winemaker, I will always take care of a bottle of wine, especially knowing how much effort went into its production. The best tips on how to care for your wine.
1. With vacuum pump and stopper [Vacu-vin]. Insert the stopper into the neck of the bottle and, using the pump, remove the air with about 5 to 8 pumps or until you feel a slight suction on the stopper. The stopper will now be fully closed creating an airtight seal. This is a great simple product and often comes with replacement plugs so you can keep a red and a white at the same time.
2. It is not always necessary to keep the bottle in the refrigerator (if it is too cold, when you open it you will not notice many flavors). So store it in a cool, dry place, like a cellar or unheated room.
3. Do not allow wine to get too hot, ie store near a radiator or other heat source, as this will rapidly deteriorate the wine through oxidation. When a wine oxidizes, turns brown, and tastes horrible, then you definitely need to throw it away.
4. The use of a preservative gas, usually argon (in cartridge form) helps to preserve the freshness of the wine. The gas is inert and will create a protective barrier between the wine and the oxygen in the air. This is a great way to keep open bottles of wine for up to 21 days. This system is the preferred method used by many winemakers allowing them to offer many of their wines for tasting at once without the worry of having to dispose of the bottles before they are empty.
With these tips, there is no need to waste more wine, but most importantly, you will be able to enjoy your wine again as if it were a freshly opened bottle. Wine saving devices are not expensive, some are only the price of a bottle of wine, so it makes sense to save.
No more oxidized wine and no more unintentional vinegar!
