Preserving Open Wine
It's always a shame to see fine wine go to waste, but since oxidation can quickly spoil the flavor, many people resign themselves to discarding any open wine that they don't end up serving. Well, before you go pouring that half-full bottle of expensive cabernet down the kitchen sink, you should know that there are actually several inexpensive ways to preserve the taste of open wine.
Traci Eguchi is the owner of Friends of the Vine, a wine store located in Redondo Beach, Calif. Here she offers her expert advice on keeping the wine in opened bottles tasting its best:
- Nitrogen. An easy way to preserve the taste of an open bottle of wine is to use nitrogen. The nitrogen comes in a can, and you spray it into the bottle, forming a blanket of gas that prevents oxidation. The nitrogen will preserve the wine for four or five days, and is very inexpensive at about 10 cents a use.
- Vacuum pumps. A second option is to use a vacuum pump system to remove the air from the bottle. With little air in the bottle, oxidation will be significantly slowed, and the wine will hold its taste for a couple of days.
- Cork. At the very least, you should try to replace the bottle's cork and put the wine in the refrigerator. This is less effective that the other methods, but it might just keep your wine tasting good for 2 to three days.
Of course, you could always just finish off the bottle with some friends and preserve the memories instead of the wine. So drink responsibly, and try to enjoy every drop of the wine you buy!
For more information on fine wines, visit a wine shop in your area or check out the following organizations and websites:
Vine2Wine
www.vine2wine.com/index.htm
Mark Squire's Wine Basics—Includes information on preserving open wines.
www.marksquires.com/basics.htm#preservation
Wine Education.com
Winefocus
www.winefocus.com
Wine X Magazine
www.winexwired.com
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