How to Preserve an Open Wine Bottle

Wine enthusiasts take pride in finishing off a bottle of their favorite wine with friends and family. But, every once in a while you just can’t finish the bottle. Because wasting good wine is just not an option, naturally, you save it. But what’s the best way to do so without compromising the quality? There are easy steps to take to preserve an open wine bottle.

• Re-Cork the Wine Bottle – If you know ahead of time that there will be left over wine, you should re-cork the bottle after every glass is poured to reduce contact with the air. Once done, place the bottle with the remaining wine in the refrigerator to slow down the chemical process. Usually a re-corked bottle of wine stored in a cold refrigerator will stay fresh for up to three to five days.
• Use a Coravin – The main purpose of this unique device is to avoid uncorking the bottle at any point. The Coravin tops the bottle with argon gas by using a needle, allowing you to pour the amount that you wish and remove the needle so the cork will seal naturally, limiting the wine’s oxygen exposure. It can be a bit pricey, but it is well worth it if you have vintages you want to enjoy slowly. This device is used frequently in restaurants and is making its way to wine lovers’ own homes.
• Use Half Bottles – This may sound complicated, but it is as easy as pouring the remaining wine in the bottle into another bottle and storing it in the refrigerator. Use a funnel to transfer the wine to the new bottle to prevent any spills. Make sure the bottle you choose to store the wine in is a 375 ml wine bottle so that it is exposed to less oxygen.
• Vacuuming – There are vacuum pumps on the market that fit into the neck of the bottle and extract the air. Doing this should keep your wine good for another couple days. Note that you shouldn’t use this method more than once on the same bottle, as the aromas may also be sucked out in the process.

Your goal to preserving wine should involve limiting the exposure the wine has to oxygen. The above suggestions should keep the unused portions of wine fresh for some extra time (depending on the method). Be sure not to store opened wine bottles on its side. This will increase the area that the oxygen has access to which can cause the wine to go bad quickly. Make sure you remember to drink the preserved wine within a few days to avoid waste.