We’ve all opened a bottle of wine knowing full well that we were not going to finish it, and forlornly just succumb to the idea that whatever was left would just go bad quickly, so we just dump it. Silly.
Wine, once opened, will oxidize; but with recorking and refrigeration, it should last a few days longer than you would expect it to. Often I’ve found the slow oxidation process that takes place can favorably change the wine, or bring out otherwise untasted or recognized characters. Sometimes, with certain wines, it will taste different everyday you keep it.
And that can be a good thing. Just remember to keep them standing up, this way there is less surface area coming in contact with air you’ve introduced by opening the bottle.
In general, reds last longer. I’ve kept reds this way for a week!
Whites tend to last less long, but still can have interesting taste morphs over the days after opening.
You can get fancier than just the standard cork if you want to get serious about keeping your prized liquids drinkable longer. There are specialized gizmos to minimize air getting into your wine. Savino Wine Preserver is one such device that is as sleek and elegant as it is helpful. It’s a specially built carafe that reduces air contact with the wine, thus helping it to last longer.
(Photo, left: Savino Wine Preserver)
There are also gadgets available that will pump the air out of the bottle in order to stop oxidation. They do help. They are pretty standard, and are readily available. Vacu Vin is one. It enables you to remove the air out of the bottle each time you pour a glass. Like the Savino Wine Preserver, it is reasonably priced.
(Photo, right: Vacu Vin)
The next step up are those that replace the air in the bottle with nitrogen or argon gas, which eliminate the oxidation process very successfully. The Coravin System uses argon gas, and a thin needle, to prevent air getting to the wine. While popular, this system, and others like it on the market, are pricey. They are really geared to serious wine enthusiasts.
(Photo, left: The Coravin System)
Recently introduced to the market is a stopper that actually removes the oxygen from both the bottle and the wine - Repour. Repour is able to keep a wine from oxidizing for weeks, so long as you keep it in the bottle. It’s really just a simple cork, with specialized chemicals in it. The added bonus is that it’s super inexpensive.
(Photo, right: Repour)
Of course there are special stoppers to seal champagne bottles shut and prevent the effervescence from leaving the wine. And while they work wonderfully well, who wants to save champagne when you can just drink it?! That said, should you be left with bubbly that you want to save for brunch the next morning, Metrokane Champagne Sealer, works really well, is easy to use, and is also inexpensive- win, win, win.
(Photo, left: Metrokane Champagne Sealer)
Now, with all of these options, you can certainly find a preserver to suit your needs, and budget, so that you’ll never have to waste wine again.
