Every wine lover has faced this situation: the bottle is half empty and it's tempting to finish it, but won't that make me too tipsy? Can I keep it for the next day instead?
That's why we have created this guide to help you understand how to preserve wine after opening the bottle and the different “shelf lives” of different types of wine.
Reseal it
Re-corking
Replacing the cork inside the bottle would be the most obvious method, even though it's definitely not the ideal solution.
Nevertheless, when doing that, make sure to inspect the cork for damages before your insert it and twist slowly to push the cork inside the bottle about half-way.
Wine stoppers
A wine stopper can dress up a dinner table or be offered as a gift!
If you accidentally throw away the cork or can't successfully put it back into the bottle, you can use a wine stopper. This tool can create an airtight seal, which does well in leak-proofing your bottle and can also add a little art to your daily life.
Vacuum pump
The previous two methods help preventing more oxygen to enter the bottle, but can't solve the problem of the oxygen which is already inside it. As excessive oxygen is wine's worst enemy, there should be another way to get this oxygen out!
Vacuum pumps suck the air out of an opened bottle so it can be resealed hermetically. This is an affordable and widely used tool. It can help preserving your wine for a couple extra days.
Half bottles
You can also use a funnel to pour the remaining wine into a screw-cap half bottle, which can minimize oxidation.
Inevitably, you'll lose half an ounce of wine, but you'll preserve the rest of the wine much better. It's a fair deal!
Refrigerate it
This may be surprising, but any opened bottle of wine, red or white, will last longer in the refrigerator.
Yes, you read it right! Since lower temperatures slow down the oxidation process, don't resist putting an opened bottle of red wine in the refrigerator too! And of course, when you want to drink it again, remember to take it out in advance so it can warm up.
Don't wait too long !
While there are many ways to preserve opened wine, it won't last long anyways. You need to pay attention to the different “shelf lives” according to the type of wine, as follows:
Shelf life by style
- Lighter-bodied reds (ie. Beaujolais or Valpolicella): 1-2 days
- Full-bodied reds (ie. Médoc, Rhône or Barossa): 3-4 days
- Full-bodied whites & rosés (ie. Oaked Chardonnay or Viognier): 2-3 days
- Lighter-bodied whites(ie. Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc): 1-2 days
Sparkling wines (ie. Champagne or Cava): 1 day (with a proper sparkling wine preserver)
Sweet wines like Sauternes can be kept for weeks once opened. But if it has less sugar content, it should be kept open for less long.
Fortified wines can be kept outside the fridge in a dry and dark environment for months once opened.
Is the wine still good?
Red wines that are left opened for too long will start to turn brown while white wines will turn to darker gold or orange.
If the wine has lost its fruity aroma and instead smells more like vinegar, that means the wine is past its prime. At this point, you might want to double check by tasting, and if it is indeed unpleasant, you would better empty the rest of the bottle in the sink!
Founded in 2018 by Matthieu Ventelon, Hedonia is the first institution in China combining professional Wine and Etiquette expertise in the same training offer.
Find more information on our website : http://en.hedonia.cn