What to do with opened wine – aside from drinking it

Personally, I’ve always believed that the best way to store open wine is to drink it! However, I thought this would be a good topical blog, as in the UK we are just emerging from dry January, where people use the month as a time to try and abstain from alcohol. So having a moderate February maybe something that appeals.

One of the challenges with wine is that the majority is sold in 750ml bottles and once opened has a limited shelf life. This combination means that for many people, me included, leaving opened wine for more than 24 hours has a similar calling on my will power as an open box of chocolates. –“If we don’t finish the bottle today it will only go off”- Is a common excuse in our household.

So, what causes opened wine to go off?

The simple answer is air, or more specifically oxygen. When wine is exposed to oxygen it triggers a chemical reaction within the wine which is referred to as oxidation. Over time, it will start to lose its fruitiness and will develop a brownish hue to its colour (just like a cut apple or avocado turning brown once exposed to oxygen).

On opening, a little exposure is fine, and in some cases is a good thing and can enhance the wine. Hence the common saying -“letting the wine breath”- . However, once you have stopped drinking and you have wine left in the bottle, there are various options, depending on how much wine is left, how long you want to store it for and how much you want to spend on preserving it.

All the options in this blog I’ve tried myself and all have the same objective, to minimise the exposure of the wine to oxygen in order to slow down oxidation. In general, the more wine there is left in the bottle, the longer the wine will stay fresh, regardless of how you try to preserve it. This is because the wine to oxygen percentage in the bottle is lower.

I’ve ordered these starting from least effort/cost upwards:

Stick the cork back in / put the screw cap back on / use a stopper

If you have half a bottle left or more then pop it in the fridge, yes even the red ones and you’re good to go for 24 hours. If you have less than half a bottle you can carefully pour into a smaller bottle and store as above.

If you know you’re not going to drink the entire bottle

When you first open the bottle, you can carefully fill a smaller screw cap bottle to the top with wine, and store this for drinking weeks or even months later. You must do this straight away as the trick here is to expose the wine to the least amount of oxygen as possible.

Don’t buy wine in bottles

Another option is to buy bag in box wines. Historically such wines sold in the UK have been associated with cheaper, lower quality wines but more producers of higher quality wines are starting to use these. Wines stored this way can typically last for a few months, although most experts recommend a maximum of one month.

Use a VacuVin

This is a great cost-effective way to preserve wine for between 2 – 5 days depending on how much wine you have left. This works by sucking the air out of the bottle via a small hand pump and rubber stopper. You can pick-up a pump and stopper for around £12, plus you can buy extra stoppers separately. Less than half a bottle of wine will oxidate quicker, so again carefully pouring into a smaller bottle then using the VacuVin will get you nearer to the 5 days. Remember to store in the fridge or other cool place (reds included).

If you would like to purchase a VacuVin, here is a link: VacuVin on Amazon

Use a wine preserver spray

Yes, you read that right you can spray your wine with gas from an aerosol can. The gas is inert and heavier than oxygen, typically includes argon gas, and sits above the wine, thus protecting it from oxygen, keeping the bottle upright and still is a must. Using this method will give anywhere from between 1 week to 2 months shelf life to your wine again depending on how much wine is in the bottle. You can shop around and find cans for around £10, and these are typically good for around 60 – 100 uses.

If you would like to purchase a wine preserver, here is a link to one: Wine preserver on Amazon

Use a Coravin

Ok, this is the Rolls Royce solution, and is used predominately in commercial settings, though it is growing in popularity for amateur wine enthusiasts with more affordable, but still pricey offerings. Using the same principle as the wine preserver sprays, the Coravin uses argon gas that is injected into the wine, via the cork, as you pour the wine.

An entry level Coravin Pivot starts at around £149 which preserve wines for up to 3 months. The Coravin Timeless, which can preserve wine for many years starts at around £219. Both units require gas capsules which cost £40 for 6 capsules.

A single capsule typically works for 15 “150ml pours”. A “pour” can be from one or more different bottles.

Find out more about Coravin here: https://www.coravin.co.uk

Alternatively: All the above are options for still wine, however you can buy specialist stoppers, VacuVins and Coravins for sparkling wines.

Finally, there are occasions when wine oxidation is a good thing and is actively encouraged in the winemaking process. Done in a controlled manner, it can add greater complexity to the aroma and flavours of the wine. A topic for a future blog or even a bespoke Wine Flight Social experience.

Cheers Caroline!