Wine Storage and Preservation: What to do with Leftovers
It’s a common post-dinner conundrum: what to do about the half-consumed bottle of wine? Red or white, most wines will not last more than three days; however, there are ways to ensure taste and quality will not diminish during that time. The following methods of wine preservation are for wines of ten years of age or less and may not work older vintage wines.
As soon as a bottle of wine is opened and the wine is exposed to oxygen, a process known as oxidation begins. The oxygen serves to bring out the flavors in the wine, which is why many people allow a wine to “breathe” before serving. Nonetheless, if left open too long, the exposure to oxygen can ruin the wine and cause it to taste like vinegar.
The most popular method for storing red wines it to re-cork the wine (either using a plastic cork or a wine stopper) and leave it sitting on the counter. However, for this method to work, the bottle must be airtight to prevent further oxidation. In addition, the unfinished bottle of wine is susceptible to bacteria, which thrive at warm temperatures and will ruin the wine. Sommelier xxx of xxx Wines in xxx, xxx, a Wine Masters member since XXXX, says, “You wouldn’t store your left over steak dinner on the counter, why would you keep wine there? Sure, I think room temperature makes for a better tasting wine – and steak – but it also makes for a great home for bacteria.”
Refrigeration will work better than counter-top storage. Again, ensure the wine is corked properly, with as much air removed as possible. The refrigerator slows the oxidation process the same way it prevents food from spoiling. The wine should be drinkable after sitting for about an hour on the counter to bring it up to room temperature.
Wine can also be frozen; however, the bottle must be stored correctly, in an upright position. The alcohol will not freeze, but if the bottle is on its side, the alcohol can dissolve the cork. Also, before drinking, the frozen wine must be brought back to room temperature, which can be done by either leaving it on the counter for three hours, microwaving it for three minutes or soaking the bottle in a hot-water bath. For cooks, it might be worthwhile to freeze wine into ice cubes that can later be added to recipes. However, make sure to label the wines clearly.
A vacuum pump can also be a useful tool in removing excess air from an open bottle of wine. This device serves to suck the air out of the bottle and can be found at many cookware or wine shops. The pump removes the air and corks the wine with a rubber stopper, preventing additional oxygen from entering.
Along the lines of air-removal, wine can be decanted into a smaller container. This container should then be corked in order to prevent additional oxygen from entering the smaller bottle, so long as that bottle does not have any additional space above the wine. This is a challenging way of storing wine, because it is difficult to prevent oxygen from entering the smaller bottle.
Another way of preventing oxygen from coming into contact with the wine is to spray a small amount of nitrogen into the bottle and re-cork the wine quickly. The nitrogen, which is an inert gas, thus adding no smell or flavor, will block the oxygen from getting at the wine because nitrogen is heavier than oxygen.
“I’m not particularly a fan of using nitrogen,” says XXXX. “It’s a pain to keep a canister of it in the house and, inevitably, you run out when you need it. Really the fridge works great. And my wife prefers freezing small amounts of wine into ice cubes to later use in her favorite recipes.” “When it comes to wine storage, the simplest ways are probably the best: cork, refrigerate, and drink shortly afterwards,” ads XXX.
Any of Wine Masters’ Certified Master Sommeliers can answer your questions about storing wines. To find a retail location near you, click here.
